A Turn to Trust in God’s Sovereignty – Your Turning Point

Brandon Werner   -   October 11, 2025

A Turn to Trust in God’s Sovereignty

Together Church  |  Pastor Brandon Werner

October 12, 2025  |  Series: Your Turning Point

 

 

INTRODUCTION

This morning, we are going to talk about what it looks like to turn to God during the trials and difficult seasons of our lives.

 

Here’s the truth. Everyone in this room is either…

  • In the middle of a fire,
  • Coming out of a fire,
  • Or about to go back into the fire.

 

I remember hearing that for the first time when I was a young teenager. At that point, I hadn’t been through any real fires. I remember thinking, “That doesn’t have to be me.”

 

I couldn’t have been more wrong.

 

Trials come. Fires happen. We live in a world that is broken and fallen because of sin. Because of that, we will all face the fire.

 

We will all suffer because of…

  • Our own sins and failures.
  • The sins of others.
  • Financial struggles.
  • Struggles with our health or the health of loved ones.
  • Loss of relationship due to distance, estrangement, or death.
  • World events and crisis outside of our control.

 

Jesus put it this way…

 

John 16:33

I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.

 

He was right. We all face troubles in this world. In fact, if you are in the middle of a trial or have recently been through a difficult trial, would you raise your hand?

 

In this world we will have trouble.

 

But WHAT SHOULD WE DO when that trouble comes? Listen to the words of Jesus again…

 

John 16:33

I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.

 

He promised they would experience trouble, but He didn’t stop there. Jesus told them where to turn.

 

Jesus Christ has overcome the world! In the midst of trouble, we can turn to Jesus and put our trust in Him.

 

But how do we turn to trust in the midst of trouble?

(One thing to say to trust God, another thing to know HOW.)

 

 

To turn to trust in God, we must learn to see…

  1. That God is in control of all things.
  2. That God has power to bring about His best in your life.
  3. How God is working providentially in your life.

 

 

BODY

To turn to trust in God during the trials and difficult seasons of our lives, we must learn to see…

 

  1. That God is in control of all things.

 

God reveals His ultimate power, complete control, and absolute sovereignty in so many ways…

  • His creation
  • Miracles He performs (physical and spiritual)
  • Prophecies that seem impossible to us spoken and fulfilled

 

One of the primary ways God reveals His sovereignty over all things in scripture is through His dealings with the nations and rulers of this world.

 

Right now, if we decided we wanted to take time to just read all the passages in the Bible that address the sovereignty of God over the nations, rulers, and peoples of this earth, it would take us longer than the rest of today… just to read the passages!

 

The Bible is FILLED with prophecies, predictions, psalms, and stories that reveal the God’s absolute sovereignty over the nations and rulers of this world.

 

Anytime the Bible has such a large volume of material on one subject, we know it’s time to listen up.

 

Why is it so significant that we recognize God’s sovereignty over the nations and rulers of this world?

 

Think about it like this…

From a human perspective, the power of government is among the most powerful forces in this world. Few things are as terrifying to us as getting in trouble with the law.

 

The government has power to turn your life upside down!

  • The government can take your money.
    • Traffic violations
    • Civil lawsuits
    • Taxes and fines
  • The government can label you so that your reputation never recovers.
    • Felon
    • DUI
    • Sexual Offender
  • The government can take away your freedom and rights.
    • Put you in jail
    • Sentence you to prison
    • Pass laws that restrict or extort you
  • The government can even take your life.
    • Capital punishment

 

Not only that, but the government can make decisions that impact all of us… and they can do it without our permission! That could be changing laws, requiring more in taxes, changing government programs, declaring war on other nations, and so much more!

 

Few forces are as powerful as the government.

 

But the scriptures reveal God’s absolute sovereignty over the rulers and nations of this world! According to the Bible…

 

  • God is the One who establishes the nations and their boarders! (Acts 17:26, Deut 32:8)
  • God is the One who gives governments and rulers their power! (Rom 13:1-2, John 19:10-11)
  • God is the One who controls the rising and fall of nations! (Job 12:23, Ps 22:28)
  • God is the One who turns the hearts of kings! (Prov 21:1, Ex 10:1)
  • God is the One with ultimate power, control, and dominion! (Dan 4:34-35, Ps 103:19)
  • God is the One who created all things and is before all things! (Col 1:16-17, John 1:3)

 

Over and over, the scriptures declare the sovereignty of God over the nations and rulers of this world.

 

The stories of God and the fulfillment of His prophecies also reveal God’s sovereignty over the nations of the world…

  • God said He would judge the wickedness of the peoples of the earth with a great flood, and He did it.
  • God said He would make a mighty nation, Israel, out of one man, Abraham, and He did it.
  • God said He would deliver Israel from slavery and bondage to Egypt through Moses, and He did it.
  • God said He would judge the Canaanites and deliver the Promised Land over to Israel through Joshua, and He did it.
  • Through the prophet Samuel, God said He would turn nobodies like Saul and David into kings in Israel, and He did it.
  • To Solomon, God said He would divide Israel into two kingdoms, a northern and southern kingdom, and He did it.
  • To the northern kingdom, God said they would be destroyed by the Assyrians because they continually practiced evil, and it came to pass.
  • To the southern kingdom, God said they would fall to the Babylonians, be exiled for seventy years, then return to the Promised Land, and that’s exactly what happened.
  • Through Daniel, while he was in exile, God prophesied the rise and fall of many nations, including outlining the sequence of world empires, and it happened exactly as God said.

 

And this is only the beginning!

Time and time again, God reveals His absolute sovereignty and complete control in His dealings with the nations.

 

Psalm 46 lays it out powerfully…

 

Psalm 46

1 God is our refuge and strength,

a very present help in trouble.

2 Therefore we will not fear though the earth give way,

though the mountains be moved into the heart of the sea,

3 though its waters roar and foam,

though the mountains tremble at its swelling. Selah

 

4 There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God,

the holy habitation of the Most High.

5 God is in the midst of her; she shall not be moved;

God will help her when morning dawns.

6 The nations rage, the kingdoms totter;

he utters his voice, the earth melts.

7 The Lord of hosts is with us;

the God of Jacob is our fortress. Selah

 

8 Come, behold the works of the Lord,

how he has brought desolations on the earth.

9 He makes wars cease to the end of the earth;

he breaks the bow and shatters the spear;

he burns the chariots with fire.

10 “Be still, and know that I am God.

I will be exalted among the nations,

I will be exalted in the earth!”

11 The Lord of hosts is with us;

the God of Jacob is our fortress. Selah

 

When troubles come, and they will;

if we are going to turn to trust in God;

 

We must believe God is absolutely sovereignty and complete control!

  • His hand is not too short.
  • His power is not too small.
  • He reigns in majesty.
  • He rules with all authority.
  • He speaks, the earth melts.
  • He will be exalted among the nations!
  • He will be exalted in the earth!

 

If you are going to turn to trust in God, you must first see that God is in complete control of all things.

 

 

And if you are going to turn to trust in God in the fire, you must see that…

 

  1. God has power to bring about His best in your life, regardless of your circumstances or the actions of others.

 

The Bible is filled with examples of God moving powerfully in impossible situations to bring about His best in the lives of individuals.

 

But there is no clearer example in all of scripture than the example of Jesus.

 

 

Before we think about God’s providence in the life of Jesus through firey trials and evil rulers, we need to remember something important about Jesus…

 

JESUS CHRIST IS GOD!

He is the King of kings and the Lord of lords!

 

He rules and reigns over all the earth!

 

The Apostle Paul said this about Jesus…

 

Colossians 1:15-17

15 He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. 16 For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through him and for him. 17 And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together.

 

Jesus never faced a situation or circumstance that He did not have the power to avoid or immediately change. Think about that! What would you do with that kind of power?

 

But think about what Jesus did…

 

Despite His power to control everything, Jesus did something incredible… He entrusted Himself to God by trusting God to work through evil rulers and earthly powers to bring about His very best.

 

 

We can see God’s providence in the life of Jesus through His birth.

 

Do you remember the crazy happenings and evil decisions being made by the governing powers on the earth during the time of Jesus’ birth?

 

  • Caesar Augustus – heavy taxation with registration! (Born in Bethlehem)

 

  • King Herod the Great (who was not so great) – murder of children! (Out of Egypt)

 

  • Jesus’ return to Israel and avoidance of Archelaus, Herod’s replacement, so he went back to Nazareth. (Called a Nazarene)

 

 

Truly, God’s sovereignty is not just seen in His dealings with the nations and rulers of this world, but also in His ability to bring about His best in the life of the individual regardless of the sinful choices of others.

 

Psalm 46:6-7

6 The nations rage, the kingdoms totter;

he utters his voice, the earth melts.

7 The Lord of hosts is with us;

the God of Jacob is our fortress. Selah

 

 

But as powerful as it is to see God’s sovereign hand at work in the birth of Jesus, God’s sovereignty is most powerfully revealed through the events surrounding the death of Jesus…

 

  • Jesus was slandered and attacked by Jewish leaders; Caiaphas, the high priest, and those with him.
  • Jesus was falsely accused by the large crowds who were incited by wicked leaders and cried out for His execution.
  • Jesus was wrongly convicted and handed over to be crucified by Roman rulers; Pilate, and the centurion guard.

 

 

And what followed these events was the darkest hour in all human history. Many vial, wicked acts have been performed at the hands of sinful, corrupt men… but none have ever been as dark, nor as evil, as the torture and crucifixion of the perfectly righteous Son of God.

 

He is the only man who ever lived without sin. And yet, the world hated Him, abused Him, and condemned Him to death.

 

But, in His darkest hour, Jesus believed the Father was in control, and He believed His Father would bring about God’s best in His life!

 

While hanging on the cross, Jesus said…

 

  • “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.”
  • AND “Into Your hands I commend My spirit.”

 

 

None of us have ever faced a fiery trial like the one Jesus unjustly endured for our sins.

 

But despite His suffering, Jesus showed us how to turn our hearts to trust in the sovereignty and goodness of God in all circumstances as we seek to align ourselves with Him.

 

 

And Jesus was rewarded!

 

 

Through the worst event in human history came the best event in human history!

 

In the darkest hour the world has ever seen, the light of the gospel and the glory of God shinned at its very brightest!

 

Was the death of Jesus a complete atrocity? Absolutely.

But through it, did God orchestrate His very best – not only for Jesus – but for all mankind? He did!

 

Philippians 2:5-11

5 Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, 6 who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, 7 but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. 8 And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. 9 Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, 10 so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, 11 and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

 

 

Through Jesus, God shows us His unmatched ability to take the darkest parts of our lives and to turn them into a testimony of His goodness and glory.

 

If you’re going to turn to trust in God like Jesus…

  • You must believe there is nothing outside God’s control,
  • And you must believe in God’s providential ability to work everything together for your good and His glory as you align your life with His

 

 

Now, it’s time to make this personal. To turn to trust in God in the midst of your trials, you must see…

 

  1. How God is providentially working in your life, even when your in the middle of the fire.

 

I don’t know all the ways you’ve struggled in your life…

  • You may have had the best parents in the world, or the worst.
  • You may have had an amazing childhood, or a tragic one.
  • Maybe you’ve never been in trouble with the law, or you’ve spent your life running into the law.
  • Maybe others have treated you unfairly.
  • Maybe you’ve been slandered or falsely accused.
  • Maybe you’re health’s been amazing, or maybe you’ve really struggled.
  • Maybe you’ve never lost a close loved one, or maybe your life has been full of significant losses.

 

When life happens, the human tendency is to view it through this lens:

  • I like that, OR
  • I don’t like that

 

There’s nothing wrong with that initial emotional reaction. We’re human. There are things that are good, pleasant, and comfortable; and there are things that are evil, unpleasant, and painful.

 

To initially FEEL something deeply about your life or what you’re going through is completely normal.

 

But when your soul is trained to trust in the providence of God, your feelings don’t get the final word.

 

Instead of just asking, “Do I like this or dislike this?”

Now you ask, “What is God doing?”

 

That’s maturity!

 

A turn to trust in God is a turn away from being controlled by your feelings; it’s a turn to trusting God’s providence no matter what.

 

It’s this kind of trust in God’s providence that gives us…

  • Peace in the storm that God is fulfilling His promises
  • Faith to turn to God and cry out to Him for deliverance from the storm
  • Comfort when the storm causes us to personally suffer
  • Strength to fulfill our mission regardless of the storm

 

This kind of maturity changes our perspective of everything happening in the world and in our lives…

  • Whether elections and changes of world powers
  • Or movements on the global stage
  • During seasons of personal prosperity, rest, and comfort
  • Or in times of great pain, loss, and sorrow

 

Growing in maturity is turning from viewing the world and your own life through a lens of your feelings and a decision to evaluate everything through the lens of God’s providence as you look to align yourself with what God is doing.

 

EXAMPLE: Luke White

This turn to trusting God’s providence can happen when you are old, but it can also happen when you are very young.

 

Recently, it has been a joy for me to watch this turn to trusting in the providence of God happening in my 12-year-old son, Luke White.

 

Luke just started six grade and is working on a school assignment. His teachers recently assigned him the task of recalling the events of his life and searching for the thread of God’s providence in all things.

 

This has been a powerful assignment for Luke…

  • Luke and his siblings grew up moving between their mom and dad and living in several different homes.
  • There was one brief point Luke didn’t have a home.
  • There came a time when the government decided to remove Luke and his siblings from his parents’ custody.
  • When that happened, the authorities decided to place the three kids in his grandmother’s home.

 

God had already been doing a work in Luke’s grandmother…

  • She has shared her testimony here (it is on our YouTube page)
  • Ronnett spent most her life battling addiction
  • In more recent years, she heard the gospel and put her faith in Jesus for the forgiveness of sins and new life in Him
  • With God’s power, she had overcome addiction and had a stable home for her grandkids to come live in

 

About the same time her grandkids moved in, Ronnette was led by the Holy Spirit to come to our church…

  • By the providence of God, our church has been here almost 100 years! God has sustained us “for such a time as this”.
  • Ronnette came and began to connect with our church with her grandkids; Luke, Autumn, and Adam.
    • That was in the fall of 2021
  • Suzanna Dellinger was only in Rachael and I’s small group for a short period of time; but it happened to be during the time Ronnette was connecting with our church.
    • God used Suzanna to help connect Ronnette with our group.
  • Ronnette and her grandkids attended our group for about 6-8 months.

 

In June of 2022, the governing authorities made another unexpected change and decided to move the three children again.

  • By God’s providence, Rachael heard about the change and, as Ronnette’s group leader, contacted Ronnette.
  • By God’s providence, God moved Rachael’s heart to appeal to me that we would open our home to welcome these children in their time of need.
  • By God’s providence, God orchestrated the governing authorities to allow the children to move in with us.

 

When that happened, we had no idea what God was going to do. We didn’t know if the kids would be with us 3 days, 3 years, or until they grew up and got married. The truth is, we still don’t know. That is still up to God’s providence.

 

 

But here’s what we do know…

It’s been almost 3 and a half years since God brought Luke, Autumn, and Adam to our family.

 

In this recent project, Luke has been recalling the goodness of God through His providence in His life.

 

When I asked Luke how he can see God’s providence in his life, he specifically mentioned two things right away…

  1. God’s provision for our new van
  2. That he even knows us (that his grandmother came here)

 

As we talked some more, we saw God’s providence in so many ways!

 

Since Luke joined our family…

  • He was saved and baptized in our church
  • His sister was saved and baptized in our church
  • He has experienced and now knows what it looks like to be part of a godly family that follows Jesus
  • He has grown significantly in his understanding of God and in his knowledge of God’s Word
  • He has seen God provide for all his needs
  • He has seen God provide for all our family’s needs
  • He has enjoyed family vacations
  • He has established family traditions
  • He has gained two new sets of grandparents
  • He has made great memories
  • He has found three new siblings – Liz, Kate, and Jackson
  • He has grown in spiritual maturity and his walk with the Lord
  • He has been part of pointing others to Jesus

 

All this has happened because of the providence of God in Luke’s life!

 

And, at the same time, God has been working in similar ways in my life, Rachael’s life, the life of all six of our kids, the life of our church, and the lives of many others… all through His providence.

 

 

 

 

CONCLUSION

Jesus said, “In this world you will have trouble.”

But He also said, “Be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.”

 

Your turning point this morning, if you’ll make it, is a turn to trust in the providence of God! His hand is not too short; His goodness is not out of reach; He is the God who is mighty to deliver and save!

 

 

I don’t know what trouble you are facing, or what trouble you are about to face. I know trouble can come from all sides…

 

  • If your trouble is coming from your own sin or choices, God wants you to align with Him today.
  • If your trouble is caused by circumstances outside your control, God wants you to trust in His providence right now.

 

 

No matter what you are facing or about to face, by faith you can turn to trust in God by putting your trust in His absolutely goodness and His supreme sovereignty.

 

 

 

INVITATION

 

  • For some of you, your turn to trust this morning starts with a turn to faith in Jesus! (SHARE THE GOSPEL)
  • For those of you who already know Jesus, your turn to trust in God’s sovereignty is a decision to view your life through the lens of God’s providence…
    • Like Luke, will you go back through your history and look at your life through the lens of God’s goodness and providence?
    • Will you move past reacting based on what you like and do not like and will you start asking, “God, what are you doing?”
    • Will you allow the circumstances of your life to turn your heart to a place of complete trust and dependence on God?
    • Will you believe that, just like Jesus, God has the power to use everything you are experiencing for your ultimate good and – most importantly – for the glory of His Kingdom?

 

 

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