{"id":1216,"date":"2016-11-23T03:36:03","date_gmt":"2016-11-23T03:36:03","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/takingeverythoughtcaptivetoobeychrist.wordpress.com\/?p=1216"},"modified":"2016-11-23T03:36:03","modified_gmt":"2016-11-23T03:36:03","slug":"the-means-of-sovereignty","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/themajestysmen.com\/joshuajenkins\/the-means-of-sovereignty\/","title":{"rendered":"The Means of Sovereignty"},"content":{"rendered":"

\u201cWhen he saw the crowds, he had compassion for them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. Then he said to his disciples, \u2018The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few; therefore pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest.\u2019\u201d + Matthew 9v36-38<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n

<\/span>A simplistic definition of a Calvinist is someone who trusts the sovereignty of God in every area of life, including salvation. Calvinism springs from the heart of Jesus and jumps off the pages of Scripture. I am an unapologetic Calvinist. I have no bones about it. <\/span><\/p>\n

<\/span>The most typical push-back that is lobbed at me is this: \u201cIf God is sovereign over everything, then why does it matter what we do?\u201d<\/span> Look no further than the words of Jesus here in Matthew 9. Jesus looks out on<\/span> the crowds of helpless people and <\/span>He sees their need. He then turns to his disciples and tel<\/span>ls them to pray that God <\/span>would send people to shepherd these people. Jesus doesn\u2019t say, \u201cDo what you want, God will take care of it.\u201d Nope; Jesus tells his disciples to act. What we do matters because the way that God primarily acts in the world is through the means of His people. God works through means. That gives resounding importance to our responsibility. The sovereign Lord of the universe works His sovereign will through the actions of his people. Since this is the case, I see nothing more important than what we do.<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/span>There are two big things in this passage. First, we see that God\u2019s sovereign will comes about first through the prayers of His people. It is a wonderful mystery that God has chosen to work through the prayers of His people. Our praying matters because it is a part of God\u2019s sovereign will in His plan for the universe.<\/span> Remember, Jesus didn\u2019t say, “God is the Lord of the harvest, so no need to pray.” No! He said, \u201cPray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest\u2026\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/span>Second, the result of our prayer is answered prayer. Through our prayers for God to <\/span>raise<\/span> up workers to go into the harvest, God raises up workers to go into the harvest. Our prayers are<\/span> a<\/span> means of God to bring about the means of salvation to all people. <\/span><\/p>\n

<\/span>Whether you are a Calvinist or not, prayer, by nature, is Calvinistic, because prayer is petitioning God to act.<\/span> When you pray, you are admitting to God that you don\u2019t have the power or the ability on your own. When you pray, “God please save my loved one,” you are asking God to sovereignly override your loved one’s will, or to change your loved one’s will. When y<\/span>ou pray, you are bowing the knee to sovereignty and acknowledging that God is the Lord of the harvest. Every Arminian becomes a Calvinist when he prays.<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

\u201cWhen he saw the crowds, he had compassion for them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. Then he said to his disciples, \u2018The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few; therefore pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest.\u2019\u201d + Matthew 9v36-38 […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":685,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_genesis_hide_title":false,"_genesis_hide_breadcrumbs":false,"_genesis_hide_singular_image":false,"_genesis_hide_footer_widgets":false,"_genesis_custom_body_class":"","_genesis_custom_post_class":"","_genesis_layout":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"wds_primary_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[27,1],"tags":[249,250,557,678,679,698,699,765,803,809,969,1167,1168],"class_list":{"0":"post-1216","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","6":"category-gospel","7":"category-uncategorized","8":"tag-calvinism","9":"tag-calvinist","10":"tag-god","11":"tag-jenkins","12":"tag-jesus","13":"tag-josh","14":"tag-joshua","15":"tag-lord","16":"tag-matthew","17":"tag-means","18":"tag-prayer","19":"tag-sovereign","20":"tag-sovereignty","21":"entry"},"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":1302,"url":"https:\/\/themajestysmen.com\/joshuajenkins\/no-hopin-in-me\/","url_meta":{"origin":1216,"position":0},"title":"No Hopin’ in Me","author":"Joshua Jenkins","date":"April 11, 2017","format":false,"excerpt":"I have a friend who questions me about my Calvinism on a regular basis. I love it. He recently asked me, \"Where's the hope in believing that everything is out of your control?\" With a smile and no hesitation I replied, \"That's exactly where it is. My hope lies in\u2026","rel":"","context":"In \"Arminian\"","block_context":{"text":"Arminian","link":"https:\/\/themajestysmen.com\/joshuajenkins\/tag\/arminian\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":2074,"url":"https:\/\/themajestysmen.com\/joshuajenkins\/finding-comfort-in-the-sovereignty-of-god\/","url_meta":{"origin":1216,"position":1},"title":"Finding Comfort in the Sovereignty of God","author":"Edward Larow","date":"June 9, 2017","format":false,"excerpt":"Many of us, when faced with situations of turmoil, are filled with a great debilitating fear. As a sixth grader, I was bullied by a gang of young boys. They would wait for me outside of my classroom, and threaten me at every point of my day. At times I\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Gospel"","block_context":{"text":"Gospel","link":"https:\/\/themajestysmen.com\/joshuajenkins\/category\/gospel\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/themajestysmen.com\/joshuajenkins\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/37\/2017\/06\/front-of-a-small-boat-1467012883o0s.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/themajestysmen.com\/joshuajenkins\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/37\/2017\/06\/front-of-a-small-boat-1467012883o0s.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/themajestysmen.com\/joshuajenkins\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/37\/2017\/06\/front-of-a-small-boat-1467012883o0s.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/themajestysmen.com\/joshuajenkins\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/37\/2017\/06\/front-of-a-small-boat-1467012883o0s.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/themajestysmen.com\/joshuajenkins\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/37\/2017\/06\/front-of-a-small-boat-1467012883o0s.jpg?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/themajestysmen.com\/joshuajenkins\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/37\/2017\/06\/front-of-a-small-boat-1467012883o0s.jpg?resize=1400%2C800&ssl=1 4x"},"classes":[]},{"id":3504,"url":"https:\/\/themajestysmen.com\/joshuajenkins\/the-doctrine-of-providence-and-its-practical-application-in-the-christian-life\/","url_meta":{"origin":1216,"position":2},"title":"The Doctrine of Providence And Its Practical Application In The Christian Life","author":"Joshua Mills","date":"April 3, 2018","format":false,"excerpt":"INTRODUCTION It was C. H. Spurgeon, the Prince of Preachers, who once said that \u201cthe Sovereignty of God is the pillow upon which the child of God rests his head at night, giving perfect peace.\u201d To know that God is completely in control of all things is the greatest comfort\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Faith"","block_context":{"text":"Faith","link":"https:\/\/themajestysmen.com\/joshuajenkins\/category\/faith\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":602,"url":"https:\/\/themajestysmen.com\/joshuajenkins\/a-verse-you-cannot-ignore\/","url_meta":{"origin":1216,"position":3},"title":"A Verse You Cannot Ignore","author":"Joshua Jenkins","date":"December 31, 2015","format":false,"excerpt":"In 1 Samuel 2v25 you will find a stunning sentence that participates in a greater theme throughout the Bible - the will of man and the sovereignty of God. Here's the verse: \"But they would not listen to the voice of their father, for it was the will of the\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Faith"","block_context":{"text":"Faith","link":"https:\/\/themajestysmen.com\/joshuajenkins\/category\/faith\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":6270,"url":"https:\/\/themajestysmen.com\/joshuajenkins\/show-me-your-glory\/","url_meta":{"origin":1216,"position":4},"title":"Show Me Your Glory","author":"Joshua Jenkins","date":"January 29, 2024","format":false,"excerpt":"Click HERE for sermon audio Moses said, \u201cPlease\u00a0show me your glory.\u201d\u00a019\u00a0And he said,\u00a0\u201cI will make all my goodness pass before you and will proclaim before you my name \u2018The\u00a0Lord.\u2019 And\u00a0I will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and will show mercy on whom I will show mercy.\u00a020\u00a0But,\u201d he\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Sermon"","block_context":{"text":"Sermon","link":"https:\/\/themajestysmen.com\/joshuajenkins\/category\/sermon\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/themajestysmen.com\/joshuajenkins\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/37\/2024\/01\/img_6736.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/themajestysmen.com\/joshuajenkins\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/37\/2024\/01\/img_6736.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/themajestysmen.com\/joshuajenkins\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/37\/2024\/01\/img_6736.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/themajestysmen.com\/joshuajenkins\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/37\/2024\/01\/img_6736.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/themajestysmen.com\/joshuajenkins\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/37\/2024\/01\/img_6736.jpg?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":3528,"url":"https:\/\/themajestysmen.com\/joshuajenkins\/english-baptist-anne-dutton\/","url_meta":{"origin":1216,"position":5},"title":"English Baptist Anne Dutton","author":"Joshua Mills","date":"April 20, 2018","format":false,"excerpt":"INTRODUCTION Among English Baptists of the eighteenth-century, Anne Dutton was known as \u201cthe most theologically capable and influential Baptist woman of her day.\u201d Anne Dutton\u2019s hymns, poems, letters, and writings have had a tremendous influence on Baptistic life in the eighteenth-century. In this paper, we will look at the life\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Church History"","block_context":{"text":"Church History","link":"https:\/\/themajestysmen.com\/joshuajenkins\/category\/church-history\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/themajestysmen.com\/joshuajenkins\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/37\/2018\/04\/02-science-has-figured-out-why-you-love-the-smell-of-old-books-1024x683-1.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/themajestysmen.com\/joshuajenkins\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/37\/2018\/04\/02-science-has-figured-out-why-you-love-the-smell-of-old-books-1024x683-1.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/themajestysmen.com\/joshuajenkins\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/37\/2018\/04\/02-science-has-figured-out-why-you-love-the-smell-of-old-books-1024x683-1.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/themajestysmen.com\/joshuajenkins\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/37\/2018\/04\/02-science-has-figured-out-why-you-love-the-smell-of-old-books-1024x683-1.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]}],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/themajestysmen.com\/joshuajenkins\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1216","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/themajestysmen.com\/joshuajenkins\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/themajestysmen.com\/joshuajenkins\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/themajestysmen.com\/joshuajenkins\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/685"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/themajestysmen.com\/joshuajenkins\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1216"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/themajestysmen.com\/joshuajenkins\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1216\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/themajestysmen.com\/joshuajenkins\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1216"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/themajestysmen.com\/joshuajenkins\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1216"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/themajestysmen.com\/joshuajenkins\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1216"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}