Week 3 Sermon

God Rules Over All He Made

Introduction

From the very beginning of Scripture, God is not presented as a distant force or passive observer. He is the Creator, the Owner, and the King.

In Week 1, we saw that God creates by His word.
In Week 2, we saw that God creates humanity in His image.

Now in Week 3, Scripture presses the question every human heart must answer:

Who is in charge?

Psalm 24 and Psalm 104 give us a clear, humbling, and hope-filled answer:
The LORD rules over all He has made.

Scripture Reading

Psalm 24

Scripture (BSB): Psalm 24

The Earth Is the LORD’s

A Psalm of David.

1 The earth is the LORD’s, and the fullness thereof, the world and all who dwell therein.

2 For He has founded it upon the seas and established it upon the waters.

3 Who may ascend the hill of the LORD? Who may stand in His holy place?

4 He who has clean hands and a pure heart, who does not lift up his soul to an idol or swear deceitfully.

5 He will receive blessing from the LORD and vindication from the God of his salvation.

6 Such is the generation of those who seek Him, who seek Your face, O God of Jacob. Selah

7 Lift up your heads, O gates! Be lifted up, O ancient doors, that the King of Glory may enter!

8 Who is this King of Glory? The LORD strong and mighty, the LORD mighty in battle.

9 Lift up your heads, O gates! Be lifted up, O ancient doors, that the King of Glory may enter!

10 Who is He, this King of Glory? The LORD of Hosts— He is the King of Glory. Selah

Psalm 104

Scripture (BSB): Psalm 104

How Many Are Your Works, O LORD!

1 Bless the LORD, O my soul! O LORD my God, You are very great; You are clothed with splendor and majesty.

2 He wraps Himself in light as with a garment; He stretches out the heavens like a tent,

3 laying the beams of His chambers in the waters above, making the clouds His chariot, walking on the wings of the wind.

4 He makes the winds His messengers, flames of fire His servants.

5 He set the earth on its foundations, never to be moved.

6 You covered it with the deep like a garment; the waters stood above the mountains.

7 At Your rebuke the waters fled; at the sound of Your thunder they hurried away—

8 the mountains rose and the valleys sank to the place You assigned for them—

9 You set a boundary they cannot cross, that they may never again cover the earth.

10 He sends forth springs in the valleys; they flow between the mountains.

11 They give drink to every beast of the field; the wild donkeys quench their thirst.

12 The birds of the air nest beside the springs; they sing among the branches.

13 He waters the mountains from His chambers; the earth is satisfied by the fruit of His works.

14 He makes the grass grow for the livestock and provides crops for man to cultivate, bringing forth food from the earth:

15 wine that gladdens the heart of man, oil that makes his face to shine, and bread that sustains his heart.

16 The trees of the LORD have their fill, the cedars of Lebanon that He planted,

17 where the birds build their nests; the stork makes her home in the cypresses.

18 The high mountains are for the wild goats, the cliffs a refuge for the rock badgers.

19 He made the moon to mark the seasons; the sun knows when to set.

20 You bring darkness, and it becomes night, when all the beasts of the forest prowl.

21 The young lions roar for their prey and seek their food from God.

22 The sun rises, and they withdraw; they lie down in their dens.

23 Man goes forth to his work and to his labor until evening.

24 How many are Your works, O LORD! In wisdom You have made them all; the earth is full of Your creatures.

25 Here is the sea, vast and wide, teeming with creatures beyond number, living things both great and small.

26 There the ships pass, and Leviathan, which You formed to frolic there.

27 All creatures look to You to give them their food in due season.

28 When You give it to them, they gather it up; when You open Your hand, they are satisfied with good things.

29 When You hide Your face, they are terrified; when You take away their breath, they die and return to dust.

30 When You send Your Spirit, they are created, and You renew the face of the earth.

31 May the glory of the LORD endure forever; may the LORD rejoice in His works.

32 He looks on the earth, and it trembles; He touches the mountains, and they smolder.

33 I will sing to the LORD all my life; I will sing praise to my God while I have my being.

34 May my meditation be pleasing to Him, for I rejoice in the LORD.

35 May sinners vanish from the earth and the wicked be no more. Bless the LORD, O my soul. Hallelujah!

Point 1 — God Owns All Creation

Psalm 24 opens with a sweeping declaration: the earth does not belong to humanity, governments, or chance—it belongs to the LORD.

God’s ownership is rooted in creation itself. He made the world, established it, and sustains it. Ownership establishes authority. Because God created all things, He has the right to rule all things.

This truth confronts one of the deepest assumptions of the human heart: the idea that we are independent or self-governing. Scripture tells us we are stewards, not owners.

Point 2 — God Actively Rules and Sustains the World

Psalm 104 expands our understanding of God’s kingship. God is not a king who creates and steps away. He is actively involved—ordering, providing, sustaining, and delighting in His creation.

Every rhythm of the natural world points to God’s ongoing rule:

• Seasons
• Provision
• Life and breath

This psalm reminds us that creation is not held together by human control or random processes, but by God’s faithful care. The same God who rules the cosmos is the God who provides daily needs.

Point 3 — God’s Rule Calls for Worshipful Obedience

Psalm 24 does not stop at declaring God’s ownership—it presses toward response. If the LORD is the King of glory, then the right response is humility, worship, and obedience.

God’s rule is not oppressive or cruel. It is righteous, good, and worthy of trust. Living under God’s authority is not a loss of freedom—it is the proper order of life as He designed it.

This prepares us for the next movement in Scripture: God’s holiness. Before we encounter God as holy, we must first recognize Him as King.

Big Truth Revisited

Because the earth belongs to the LORD, we live under His authority and for His glory.

This truth reshapes:

• How we view our lives
• How we view control and trust
• How we respond in worship and obedience

Call to Response

Consider these questions:

• Where do you resist God’s authority in your life?
• What does it look like to live as a steward rather than an owner?
• How might worship and obedience grow as trust in God’s rule deepens?

God rules over all He has made—and He rules wisely, faithfully, and lovingly.

Transition to Groups

As you move into your groups and home discipleship this week, reflect on what it means to live under God’s authority—not with fear, but with trust and worship.

Next week, we will see why this King is also holy.