Playlist: God's Rulership (topic)
The Kingdom of God
Feast of Tabernacles Sermon by Richard T. RitenbaughThe Kingdom of God is fundamentally God's own domain. He is its owner, creator, and ruler, possessing it in every sense. He holds absolute sovereignty over it, admitting or barring anyone at His will, with no one standing between Him and His Kingdom. The central focus of this Kingdom is God Himself; its chief aim is to promote, …
Why Such Confusion About the Kingdom of God?
Sermonette by Craig SablichIn Matthew 6:33, Jesus states that seeking His Kingdom is our primary goal. Most Christian organizations have no concept of what the Kingdom of God is.
The Sovereignty of God (Part Six)
Sermon by John W. RitenbaughGod's rulership is the central theme of life, established from the beginning as the Creator and source of all good things. He is the focal point of existence, not any other being or entity, and His purpose is to create humanity in His image. From the outset, He sets forth the fundamental elements of His purpose, emphasizing His …
The Sovereignty of God (Part Three)
Sermon by John W. RitenbaughGod's rulership is defined by His absolute sovereignty over all creation, exercising His will and purpose as He sees fit. He chooses to act or refrain from acting based on His own divine purpose, as seen in miraculous events like the fall of Jericho's walls, which He never repeated, or in personal interventions such as healing …
The Sovereignty of God (Part Twelve)
Sermon by John W. RitenbaughGod's rulership is the central theme of His sovereignty, as declared in Revelation 19:6, where it is proclaimed that the Lord God omnipotent reigns. Though He ultimately rules over all creation, the fullness of His reign is not yet visible to everyone, as He allows individuals the opportunity to choose to be governed by Him and …
The Sovereignty of God (Part Eleven)
Sermon by John W. RitenbaughGod's rulership is central to understanding our relationship with Him and the path to salvation. He appeared to Solomon, affirming His choice of the temple as a house of sacrifice, and declared that if His people sin, He may withhold rain, send locusts, or bring pestilence to turn their attention back to Him. As stated in II …
God and Government
Feast of Tabernacles Sermon by Richard T. RitenbaughGod's rulership stands as the ultimate authority over all forms of government, transcending human flaws and structures. No human government, even those established with divine guidance, is without fault due to the fallible nature of the people within them. As revealed in Hebrews 8:7-10, the Old Covenant failed not because of …
The Doctrine of Israel (Part Fifteen):The Israel of God
Sermon by Richard T. RitenbaughGod's rulership is central to His purpose and plan for humanity, guiding His people toward His Kingdom with a forward-looking vision. He desires that His people focus on the present and future, aligning with His will rather than dwelling on past failures. As the ultimate authority, He has shifted His focus from physical Israel …
The Providence of God (Part Six)
Sermon by John W. RitenbaughGod's rulership is the central theme in the journey of faith, as exemplified by biblical figures like Jacob and Abraham. It is God who orders life, a lesson Jacob struggled to learn until a wrestling match with God taught him that God's will prevails. Jacob, often driven by fear rather than faith, manipulated situations to …
The Providence of God (Part Four)
Sermon by John W. RitenbaughGod's rulership is a central theme in understanding His purpose and provision for His children. He orders life, commands, and arranges events and circumstances within His divine will, far beyond what we might desire or expect. His providence is not merely about providing material needs but is deeply tied to His purpose of …
Implications of the Gospel of the Kingdom
Sermonette by David C. GrabbeGod's people must let go of the world's solutions, involving party spirit, revolutions, and power struggles, placing their trust in the sovereignty of God.
Should a Christian Go To War? (Part 1)
Sermon by Martin G. CollinsGod rules supreme over all nations and human governments. Every national government on earth rules only by God's permission. Human governments possess free moral agency. God allows governments to obey and receive blessings or disobey and suffer consequences. God's master plan grants humankind 6,000 years to choose voluntarily …
The Commandments (Part Fourteen)
Sermon/Bible Study byMany biblical examples illustrate that when the leader put his faith in God and submitted himself to God's rule, God supernaturally protected His people.
All Nations Before Him Are As Nothing!
Sermon by Martin G. CollinsGod established ancient Israel as His nation under His direct government after leading them out of Egypt. The Israelites rejected His rule by demanding a human king like surrounding nations. God permitted human kings yet held the people to their covenant with Him as His Kingdom. God changes the times and the seasons. He removes …
Structure and Sovereignty in Daniel 2-7
Sermon/Bible Study by Richard T. RitenbaughDaniel chapters 2-7 form a chiastic (X shaped) structure. Chapters 2 and 7, 3 and 6, and 4 and 5 are paired and mirrored, reinforcing significant themes.
The Handwriting Is On the Wall (Part One) (2007)
Feast of Tabernacles Sermon by John W. RitenbaughGod's rulership forms the essential foundation for living by faith, as demonstrated in the lives of Abraham and Sarah. They believed not merely in God's existence but that He actively rules His creation, monitors every activity, and exercises constant sovereign authority over events to accomplish His purpose. This conviction …
The Commandments (Part Thirteen)
Sermon/Bible Study byGod has never given mankind the prerogative to determine whether war is just or not. God has promised to protect us, conditioned on our obedience to our covenant.
Watch and Vigilantly Prepare
Sermon by Martin G. CollinsGod's plan for humanity centers on His rulership through the Kingdom of God, which the annual holy days portray in sequence. The spring festivals highlight the calling of firstfruits since Christ's first coming, while the fall festivals, beginning with the Feast of Trumpets, depict the vast turning point when Christ returns to …
Peace, Peace (Part Two): Christ's Peace
Sermon by Richard T. RitenbaughGod's Rulership is central to the establishment of true peace, a condition far beyond mere absence of conflict. Under His sovereign dominion, peace is not just a temporary state but a secure and enduring reality within the Kingdom of God. This divine peace, backed by His holy power, rules in the church, providing a foundation …
Deuteronomy and Holiness
Feast of Tabernacles Sermon by John W. Ritenbaugh (1932-2023)God's rulership is presented as the foundational reality that orders all existence and assigns every nation its place and purpose. He sits upon His throne and maintains the heavens in the precise motion He originally established, demonstrating that time and events unfold according to His sovereign direction rather than human …
Psalms: Book Five: (Part Three): The Hallel: Psalms of Praise
Sermon by Richard T. RitenbaughGod exercises absolute rulership as the sovereign Lord over all nations, dwelling high above them with glory that exceeds the heavens, so that no power compares to His. This sovereignty appears throughout the Hallel psalms as the foundation for praise, since He alone does whatever He pleases and controls every outcome. In …
Sovereignty, Election, and Grace (Part One)
Sermon by John W. RitenbaughGod's rulership is active and sovereign over all creation, directing both vast historical events and the intimate details of personal salvation rather than remaining a passive observer. This principle counters the pervasive influence of the present evil world, whose ordered yet corrupt systems arise from human nature apart from …
Christ's Second Coming
Sermon by Richard T. RitenbaughThe Day of Trumpets stands as the pivotal point in God's plan, the keystone holy day that divides the three preceding festivals focused on the present age from the three that follow and concern the time ahead. Its fulfillment centers on the return of Jesus Christ, who comes as King of kings and Lord of lords to reestablish God's …
Preparing To Rule
Feast of Tabernacles Sermon by John W. Ritenbaugh (1932-2023)How can a group of rag-tag upstarts with no experience—that's how the world's leaders perceive us—hope to succeed where they have utterly failed?
Making Faithful Choices (Part Two)
Sermon by Martin G. CollinsGod exercises sole rulership over His people by requiring their complete dependence on His promises and direction rather than on human strength or leadership. When the Israelites asked Gideon to establish a dynasty after the victory over Midian, Gideon refused, declaring that neither he nor his son would rule over them because …
Outside the Normal Pattern of Order
Feast of Tabernacles Sermon by Martin G. CollinsGod's rulership is manifested through the orderly structures He establishes in creation and covenant, ensuring that nothing occurs randomly but unfolds according to His sovereign design at the appointed time. On the fourth day He set the greater light to rule the day and the lesser light to rule the night, placing them in the …
Conscience (Part 2)
Sermon by John W. RitenbaughA conscience can only function according to what it knows, and will automatically adjust in the way it is exercised. Conscience follows conduct.