I have not written a New York Times Bestseller, and no one has publicly endorsed, recommended, or vouched for me. (see Acts 1:20). Romans 8:28 says, For those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose. All things includes both good and bad things. So the emphasis of the chapter is on Gods working out His purpose through ordinary people who obey Him. 10 people that God used to accomplish his purposes I. Paul: The one with a shameful past and challenging present (4:18) Colossians 4:18 - I, Paul, write this greeting with my own hand. Get our Question of the Week delivered right to your inbox! The Lord can never be blamed for evil, but evil does not take p. God never does evil Himself. 10:17 Paul writes, So faith comes from hearing, and hearing by the Word of Christ. When we preach the gospel to someone and they come to saving faith, we dont boast that we have saved them but that God has saved them, though we were the instruments of Gods saving work. Habakkuk learned that the material success of the ungodly is not a reliable measure of their true success. A man who lived in a time in which only Jews served the one true God. The unbelievers, become confused, not remembering ever having the opportunity to serve Jesus. God can use anyone and anything. Do not lament your insufficiency. Stating that the plans of men are many but it is the purpose of the Lord that will stand. Paul used this verse from Habakkuk to warn the foolish despisers of the gospel. Those who turn in humble trust to the Lord, who rest in His work of redemption, who seek to walk in his ways, and who turn in humble repentance when they fail, will receive His righteousness, and blessing forever. Thus they plundered the Egyptians ( Exodus 12:36 ). Now the Amalekites and the Canaanites live in the valleys; turn tomorrow and set out to the wilderness by the way of the Red Sea. The Lord spoke to Moses and Aaron, saying, How long shall I bear with this evil congregation who are grumbling against Me? I have heard the complaints of the sons of Israel, which they are making against Me. 28:36, The LORD will bring you and the king whom you set over you to a nation which neither you nor your fathers have known, and there you shall serve other gods wood and stone. God could by-pass us and do everything himself, but He does not. But among the leaders of the nation, only a few followed Christand they became secret believers for fear of persecution by their brethren. Going to church wont make you a Christian any more than sleeping in a garage makes you a caror going to a donut shop makes you a cop. When you find yourself in a tight spot and you cant see any way of deliverance, have faith in God, obey His Word, and wait for the salvation of the Lord. I believe that t he Lord is here suggesting that the eternal torment that unbelievers will experience will be on a scale from more tolerable to less tolerable. Moses had great faith! But He is unique and who can turn Him?And what His soul desires, that He does. In 605 Egypt was defeated by the Neo-Babylonians at Carchemish. 10 people that God used to accomplish his purposes I. Paul: The one with a shameful past and challenging present (4:18) Colossians 4:18 - I, Paul, write this greeting with my own hand. Verse Concepts. Scripture even points to the fact that God used Cyrus even though he didnt know God. Though there were still many who had remained faithful, others no longer followed the words of the Prophets. This is the grace of God as revealed in His merciful covenant. The terms Neo-Babylons and Chaldeans are used interchangeably for the people of that Empire. When Moses spoke these words to all the sons of Israel, the people mourned greatly. We might make Jim Collins proud, but God yawns at our leadership abilities. But My servant Caleb, because he has had a different spirit and has followed Me fully, I will bring into the land which he entered, and his descendants shall take possession of it. One of the most remarkable things about the Scriptures is how they preserve for us what we regard as our highest dignity, which is the right to exercise our own will. We pray because we believe God, because we want to trust in God, praise God, ask God for things we cant do ourselves. Yet, Solomon turned away from God (1 Kings 11:4, 912). Everything was planned by God down to the tiniest detail. One of the most remarkable things about the Scriptures is how they preserve for us what we regard as our highest dignity, which is the right to exercise our own will. Then God, in His sovereign power and will, takes our weak and fallible service, and accomplishes His will, like parting the Red Sea. The Lord said to Moses, How long will this people spurn Me? Stand by and see the salvation of the Lord which He will accomplish for you today; for the Egyptians whom you have seen today, you will never see them again forever. For I will work a work in your days Which you would not believe, though it were told you.. Which is why they completely missed the Messiah when they stood right beside Him. In this period of Judahs last kings, the Prophets warned of the fulfillment of this covenant promise. Today, the weapons of force have improved, yet all the more they take whatever they want, and give only when it serves their purpose. Having all the wisdom in the world didnt guarantee fidelity. Wisdom didnt ensure obedience. And how will they hear without a preacher? What does it mean that the righteous will live by faith (Habakkuk 2:4)? Although God was at work in the betrayal, you couldnt see it that night. The fact that God ordains both the means and the ends should surely encourage us as we face our own trials. Or what harmony has Christ with Belial, or what has a believer in common with an unbeliever? The Lord even tells Moses to do it, divide it! God doesnt need men, but God chooses to use men at times to accomplish His sovereign will. That doesnt lessen his guilt, but it does increase our appreciation of Gods sovereignty over the affairs of men. Say to them, As I live, says the Lord, just as you have spoken in My hearing, so I will surely do to you; your corpses will fall in this wilderness, even all your numbered men, according to your complete number from twenty years old and upward, who have grumbled against Me. They live as if there was no Creator, no moral law, no accountability. Will we show forth Gods glory in our obedience and in our receiving of His covenant blessing? His covenant is always enforced. In the words of a 19th century writer, hatred, treachery and deceit will not prevail against the church of God. God was rejecting their national privilege, and turning to the Gentiles to populate his Covenant Nation on Earth. We might be a life-hacking, productivity guru. WebGod never does evil Himself. But this much is clear: He never believed that Jesus was guilty of any crime. God knew that Pharaoh would change his mind about letting the people of Israel go and that he would pursue them to bring them back to Egypt. Then his mind changes, and he transgresses; He commits offense, Ascribing this power to his god.. God reigns over the nations; God sits on His holy throne ( Psalm 47:8 ). God may ordain to use their wickedness, but this does not make it morally right. This is the confidence which we have before Him, that, if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. One of the most remarkable things about the Scriptures is how they preserve for us what we regard as our highest dignity, which is the right to exercise our own will. Here we see that when believers are doing the will of God, obeying the Word of God, and serving even the least of the Saints, they are Gods instruments, doing Jesus will, ministering to Jesus people, His body, His bride. Peter told the early Christians that the Scripture had to be fulfilled. He meant that the betrayal had to happen the way it did. They wanted him dead and used Judas as a convenient means to that ugly end. God Himself said that He used Pharaoh so that His name would be known on all the earth. WebGod never does evil Himself. 1 John 5:14. More insights from your Bible study - Get Started with Logos Bible Software for Free! Verse Concepts. Its something we can clearly see within the pages of our Bible. But our God is mightier than any office or country. Though Israel was many, only the remnant will be saved (Romans 9:27). A third reason God had Moses raise his staff and hands before dividing the Red Sea is that God delights to use sinners to accomplish His sovereign will. God uses the overwhelmed and disheveled mother to nurture her children into spiritual giants. In fact, in one place in scripture, God said that what He was doing could not be understood even if He explained it. This is the confidence which we have before Him, that, if we ask What does it mean that God came from Teman (Habakkuk 3:3). Summary They do whatever they want. But most of the time we wont see it fully until we finally arrive in heaven. Romans 8:28 says, For those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose. All things includes both good and bad things. But if anyone says to you, This is meat sacrificed to idols, do not eat it, for the sake of the one who informed you, and for conscience sake; I mean not your own conscience, but the other mans; for why is my freedom judged by anothers conscience? And I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee: and in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed (Genesis 12: 3). Surely you shall not come into the land in which I swore to settle you, except Caleb the son of Jephunneh and Joshua the son of Nun. Nothing is ever left to chance with God. I believe that t he Lord is here suggesting that the eternal torment that unbelievers will experience will be on a scale from more tolerable to less tolerable. Even his enemies played into Gods handthough they did not know it at the time. Your sons shall be shepherds for forty years in the wilderness, and they will suffer for your unfaithfulness, until your corpses lie in the wilderness. It only made sense on Sunday morning when Jesus rose from the dead. At first he ordered the Israelite babies to be killed at birth by the midwives (Ex. The gospel writers record many Old Testament prophecies that were fulfilled in the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Get your Bible. 1:37). This is the confidence which we have before Him, that, if we ask Sighing deeply in His spirit, He *said, Why does this generation seek for a sign? WebJohn 3:16. God has the amazing ability to do things that simply do not make sense to mankind. Compared to you or me, King Solomon had it all wisdom, wealth, fame, power. And a woman who has an unbelieving husband, and he consents to live with her, she must not send her husband away. Its okay to be a nobody, if in all you do, you serve Somebody. in whose case the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelieving so that they might not see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God. Jump to Previous Consider your calling, brothers: not many of you were wise according to worldly standards, not many were powerful, not many were of noble birth. Covenant judgment was about to be poured out upon Israel. In the same way, you wives, be submissive to your own husbands so that even if any of them are disobedient to the word, they may be won without a word by the behavior of their wives. We pray because God is sovereign and all powerful. This truth about Judas illustrates Gods control of every event in the universe. God is not the author of sin, but He can use sinful men to attain an objective. 2 Devout men buried Stephen and made great lamentation over him. He was oppressed and afflicted, yet he did not open his mouth; he was led like a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is silent, so he did not open his mouth (Isaiah 53:7). It appears that between 11 PM Thursday night and 7:30 AM Friday morning, Jesus underwent six different hearingsone before Annas, two before Caiaphas, one before the Sanhedrin, and two before Pontius Pilate. Although Judas appears to be acting solely on his own initiative, it is clear that his betrayal fits into a larger pattern of eventsone that is orchestrated by the unseen hand of the Living God. Thus they plundered the Egyptians ( Exodus 12:36 ). God is not the author of sin, but He can use sinful men to attain an objective. Zechariah 11:1230 pieces of silver (see Matthew 26:15). I answer yes. They post my sermons on the web and people listen to or watch me preach all over the world. It was the tech team, the web master, the secretary, or whoever posted my sermon on line. He had great trust in the truth of God. So then He has mercy on whom He desires, and He hardens whom He desires. Gods plan even extended to having Jesus buried in a borrowed tomb (see Isaiah 53:9). God promised to precede Cyrus and destroy all opposition that Cyrus would face: 'I will go before you and make the 3. Email Jack. As for the men whom Moses sent to spy out the land and who returned and made all the congregation grumble against him by bringing out a bad report concerning the land, even those men who brought out the very bad report of the land died by a plague before the. 10:14-15). But one and the same Spirit works all these things, distributing to each one individually just as He wills. But the fact of the matter is it wasnt me! Why? Two questions stand out: 1) Did Jesus actually descend into hell? Does God sometimes use evil to accomplish His plans (Habakkuk 1:5-11)? Impatience and failing to trust God is never helpful. Because they did not believe in GodAnd did not trust in His salvation. They looked to themselves for their power. And the Lord had given the people favor in the sight of the Egyptians, so that they granted them what they requested. God blesses those in whom he stirs to obedience, and judges disobedience. Jesus responded to the false testimony by saying nothing at all. When we dont see the ungodly punished immediately, or when they seem to be successful in their evil ways, we should not assume that God is beaten or is pleased to turn His head. God uses pathetic people for his glorious purposes to show his superior power. 1 And Saul approved of his execution. Here are the two great texts to keep in mind regarding Gods providence and our own personal experience: The first is the famous statement by Joseph to his brothers in Genesis 50:20, You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good. The second comes from the familiar words of Romans 8:28, And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. These verses teach us that God is able to take the worst things that happen in life and turn them for our good and his glory. At times, God enlisted non-believers to help His people through the ages. Pastor, Expository Preacher, Author, Trainer of Preachers and Bible Teachers. It was their God, or at least the God of Moses, that just killed all the first born of Egypt. Thanks for your interest! Though absolutely sovereign, all knowing, all wise, and everywhere present, God uses sinners to accomplish His will. In spite of our slownessand even sinGod will bless and use us to fulfill His purpose of blessing all nations through Christ, because of our relationship to the Father through the Son. When God desires to save someone, He raises up Christians to preach the gospel. This week were looking at the other side of the equation. Philippians 3:4-7 - although I myself might have confidence even in the flesh. Habakkuk 1:5, Look among the nations and watch Be utterly astounded! That doesnt make us anything more in Gods eyes. God strengthened Cyrus so that he could conquer nations and overcome opposition Thus says the Lord God to His 2. The ungodly show the futility of their rebellion, the awful penalty of sin, and the just wrath of God. But all of them come from the hand of the Lord. I didnt attend an Ivy League school. Moses was a by-product of the Egyptians attempts to hinder Gods blessing upon them, was placed in pitch covered basket and set adrift in the Nile, but rescued, weened by his own mother, adopted into Pharaohs house, and educated in all the learning of Egypt (Acts 7:22). In Acts 1:16 Peter declared that the Scripture had to be fulfilled. He meant that the Old Testament predictions (he cites Psalm 69:25 and Psalm 109:8) regarding Judas were bound to come true. Do not begrudge your weakness. When Lot saw them, he rose to meet them and bowed down with his face to the ground. When Judas actually betrayed Jesus in the Garden, Peter immediately sprang to his defense. Their horses also are swifter than leopards, And more fierce than evening wolves. Dont get me wrong, wisdom is important. God can use even you even me. He was ready to die for his Master and intended to take a few of the bad guys with him. shall by no means see the land which I swore to their fathers, nor shall any of those who spurned Me see it. WebGod Can Use Unbelievers part 1: Cyrus 1. Herod the Great tried to kill him in Bethlehem. Because God created all He can use anything in creation. What Jesus Wants Emphasized In His Church! The unbeliever has made an exchangethe truth for a lieand the devil is happy to facilitate the swap by presenting the sinner with a wide array of lies from which to choose. He may for a time use the ungodly to bring deserved chastising upon the hypocrites among His own people, and to show his uncompromising wrath upon those left to what we all deserve aside from the work of his grace. Two questions confront us as we consider the story of Judas: Last weeks sermon dealt with the first question. Often in the confusion of life, we cant see the ends, much less the means God intends for us. 14:16, God, who is all powerful and infinitely sovereign, tells Moses, lift up your staff and stretch out your hand over the sea and divide it, and the sons of Israel shall go through the midst of the sea on dry land. Why didnt God just part the Red Sea? Jesus is truly the lamb without blemish who died for the sins of the world (John 1:29). God asks us to do things we cant do, because it makes us trust IN HIM, not ourselves. But to the rest I say, not the Lord, that if any brother has a wife who is an unbeliever, and she consents to live with him, he must not divorce her. But we can find hope in knowing that God is in control, He works all things for our God, and no suffering we face know will even be able to cast a shadow on the glory we will receive in Heaven. I have received no honorary doctorates. This brings us face to face with the doctrine of Gods providence, which means, A) God has a plan that includes everything that happens in the universe, and, B) Gods plan extends to the tiniest details of life, and. You do not have His word abiding in you, for you do not believe Him whom He sent. I might preach to 100 people on Sunday morning in my own little church, but I preach to thousands over the internet. Now and then we advance to Easter morning where we discover Gods purpose in our pain. Until finally it came to the Red Sea where the Egyptian army was destroyed and the tale spread across the world to the glory of God. C) God uses all eventsgood and badto accomplish his purposes. WebThe one who believes in the Son of God has the testimony in himself; the one who does not believe God has made Him a liar, because he has not believed in the testimony that God has given concerning His Son. The fact that we cant conceive of free choice coexisting with Gods predestination simply reminds us once again that he is God and we are not. Gods plan even extended to having Jesus buried in a borrowed tomb (see Isaiah 53:9). The evil ones believe pridefully that their own imagined gods have blessed them. (Bible quotations are from the New King James Version of the Bible unless otherwise noted.). During our conversationwhich lasted two hours and was both cordial and very frankI told him that his religion could not save him. Copyright 2002-2023 Got Questions Ministries. Isaiah 28:11 warned, For with stammering lips and another tongue He will speak to this people. Jeremiah 5:15 said, Behold, I will bring a nation against you from afar, O house of Israel, says the LORD. God calls the autistic man to give the most profound articulation of his simple faith. But we learn that over time a new Pharaoh arose who did not know Joseph or respect what Joseph had done (Ex. God has the amazing ability to do things that simply do not make sense to mankind. 16:30), when he uses you or others, delivering you from your trials, be sure to praise, thank, and give Him all the glory for sovereignly using sinners. We are here and gone again. He sent His son to pay a most costly price for the sin of His people, for those who trust in Him. In those moments we often feel alone in the chaos of circumstances as life tumbles in around us. His son Jehoahaz became king. God chooses the custodian with a heavy accent to share the gospel and save lives. We know from the sowing and reaping principle that t here will be degrees of torment in the lake of fire. Third, it is necessary for us to remain silent, to not fret, grumble, or complain, while we wait for the Lord to deliver us from whatever trial we are suffering. So continue to trust in Him and you wont be disappointed. They have no respect for the leaders of other nations. God himself had foreordained every detail surrounding the death of his Son. International Standard Version. The gospels writers emphasize that although the Jewish leaders earnestly sought for witnesses who could testify against Christ, they found no one willing to come forward. The very first verse my daughter ever memorized was Isaiah 40:8, The grass withers, the flower fades, but the word of our God will stand forever. It seemed like an odd one to begin with, but now in retrospect it might have been the best one. And he was an exalted and successful king. Just as it is written, How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news of good things! (Rom. Do not begrudge your weakness. They scoff at kings, And princes are scorned by them. If one of the unbelievers invites you and you want to go, eat anything that is set before you without asking questions for conscience sake. God is unimpressed by our collection of readers, likes, retweets, friends, connections, or admirers. Wisdom alone, though, is insufficient. All of it happened according to Gods plan. We concluded that the Bible doesnt give us a final answer regarding why Judas betrayed Jesus Christ. He stands behind it indirectly, but He directly stands behind good. A lesson worth considering, but not the main lesson I want to focus on, is that God often put us into situations where only He can deliver us. God reigns over the nations; God sits on His holy throne ( Psalm 47:8 ). Christianity is not about religion, its about a life-changing relationship with the Son of God. God will surely judge all rebellion, secret and open. Then the Lord heard the sound of your words, and He was angry and took an oath, saying, Not one of these men, this evil generation, shall see the good land which I swore to give your fathers. We turn now to consider how the sin of Judas served many good purposesnone of which were seen that night and none of which diminish his true moral guilt. However, he had Aaron and Hur hold up Moses arms and had Joshua lead the armies of Israel. But Moses said to the Lord, Then the Egyptians will hear of it, for by Your strength You brought up this people from their midst, and they will tell it to the inhabitants of this land. He wants us to trust in Him, to rely on Him, to cry out to Him, and then give Him glory for delivering us. In many cases without them even realizing that they were being used by God. What an honor to serve the King of kings. Pentecost was a sign to the unbelieving of Israel that they had broken the covenant and stood deserving of Gods judgment and wrath. He clings to his sin like a drowning man to an iron life preserver. Solomon was given a mind like no one before and like none even after him (1 Kings 3:12). No buildings, streets, or hospitals have been named in honor of me. No, its a mystery. But now, the grief of the Egyptians had subsided and was replaced with anger and regret. This New-Babylon marched through Canaan and took hostages (one of them was Daniel). It will be a most terrible judgment. They were the ones who asked for valuables from the people of Egypt, who were so fearful and stricken with grief that they gave the departing Israelites their riches, literally paying the Jews to leave Egypt (Ex. The people of Israel, were backed up against the Red Sea with Pharaohs army charging at them. 1:15-16), later to be thrown in the Nile (Ex. Even those who dont believe and even speak against. They were evil cowards who hated the Son of God but feared a popular uprising if they tried to arrest him. Jump to Previous Moses was sent by the Lord multiple times to Pharaoh asking for the release of the Hebrews. But as for you, your corpses will fall in this wilderness. Joseph made Egypt phenomenally wealthy during the years of the famine. But we do not want you to be uninformed, brethren, about those who are asleep, so that you will not grieve as do the rest who have no hope. It is a mighty nation, It is an ancient nation, A nation whose language you do not know, Nor can you understand what they say. . A most astonishing way of fulfilling that prophesy. WebAnd then they will come to their senses and escape from the trap of the Devil, who had caught them and made them obey his will. Do not lament your insufficiency. International Standard Version. Sign up to join over 20,000 subscribers receiving our weekly sermon email.
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