Nothing is ever left to chance with God. 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. The sad story of Judas stands as a warning to religious people not to trust in their religion. The evil nations God was raising up to judge his rebellious people were self-centered. He stands behind it indirectly, but He directly stands behind good. We are called to be among his faithful people. I think we can learn some great lessons by answering these questions. What does it mean that the righteous will live by faith (Habakkuk 2:4)? He stands behind it indirectly, but He directly stands behind good. But we learn that over time a new Pharaoh arose who did not know Joseph or respect what Joseph had done (Ex. or will we in our rebellion demonstrate the just curse of His covenant warnings? This warning was made clear in the ancient covenant revealed long before through Moses in Deuteronomy 28. What Jesus Wants Emphasized In His Church! WebGod also testifying with them, both by signs and wonders and by various miracles and by gifts of the Holy Spirit according to His own will. Gods Ability To Use Unlikely People Even Unbelievers. 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. God commissions the invalid retiree to uphold dozens, even hundreds of missionaries on the field. And Jesus said, For judgment I came into this world, so that those who do not see may see, and that those who see may become blind. Those of the Pharisees who were with Him heard these things and said to Him, We are not blind too, are we? Jesus said to them, If you were blind, you would have no sin; but since you say, We see, your sin remains. And goes on to say, How then will they call on Him in whom they have not believed? As they plotted how to murder Jesus they had no idea they were accomplishing Gods will. God promised to precede Cyrus and destroy all opposition that Cyrus would face: 'I will go before you and make the 3. 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. Jesus says much the same thing in his famous prayer just before Judas arrives: None has been lost except the one doomed to destruction so that the Scripture would be fulfilled (John17:12b). Judas didnt know it, and neither did the disciples, but Gods fingerprints were all over his act of betrayal. WebJohn 3:16. God uses pathetic people for his glorious purposes to show his superior power. He could have rained fire and brimstone down on them. A second reason, related to the first reason, is that God knew that by doing His miracles through Moses, Moses would then in turn give glory to God. Is that a contradiction? 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. God wanted the people of Israel to look to Moses as their God appointed human leader and deliverer. Gods plan included the time of Jesus deathPassover, the placeJerusalem, the opposition by the Jewish leaders, and the betrayal by Judas. A most astonishing way of fulfilling that prophesy. They deride every stronghold, For they heap up earthen mounds and seize it. The thing he values the most is dragging him down to eternal damnation. 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. I am the trustee of nothing more than my personal belongings. When God does something completely different and unexpected (Numb. Click here. 13:17). This shows the mercy and compassion of God to help the Israelites. Gods plan even extended to having Jesus buried in a borrowed tomb (see Isaiah 53:9). But all of them come from the hand of the Lord. From the earliest days of Jesus life we find the Jewish leaders conspiring against him. 1 And Saul approved of his execution. 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. Understanding God in Troubled Times Sign up to join over 20,000 subscribers receiving our weekly sermon email. so that they might escape from the devil's snare, even though they've been held captive by him to do his will. It was the tech team, the web master, the secretary, or whoever posted my sermon on line. He is working all things after the counsel of His will (Eph. 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. He told Moses, Tell the sons of Israel to go forward. But how? Even today there are those who are arrogant and have no honor for God as He reveals Himself in Scripture. For I work a work in your days, a work which you will by no means believe, Though one were to declare it to you., Jeremiah also spoke of the same thing about which God warned Habakkuk. They had no weapons to fight Pharaohs army, no experience in war, no ability to defend themselves, and no way of escape. Gods plan even extended to having Jesus buried in a borrowed tomb (see Isaiah 53:9). Their end will be most awful. WebGod also testifying with them, both by signs and wonders and by various miracles and by gifts of the Holy Spirit according to His own will. The Neo-Babylonians were dominated by Chaldean kings. But among the leaders of the nation, only a few followed Christand they became secret believers for fear of persecution by their brethren. In Acts 2 God poured out His Holy Spirit on the disciples who spoke on the streets of Jerusalem in the languages of the Gentiles who were present. 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. He used sinners to accomplish His sovereign will. How will they preach unless they are sent? 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. Scripture even points to the fact that God used Cyrus even though he didnt know God. My ministry is small locally, but gigantic because of the faithful service of others. When we pray, we strive to pray according to Gods will (I Jn. But He is unique and who can turn Him?And what His soul desires, that He does. We live most of our days in Good Fridayenduring confusion, opposition, disappointment and the many tragedies of life. He even turns wicked hearts to serve his Sovereign purpose. The people of Jacob were trapped. And Jesus said, For judgment I came into this world, so that those who do not see may see, and that those who see may become blind., Those of the Pharisees who were with Him heard these things and said to Him, We are not blind too, are we?. Though Israel was many, only the remnant will be saved (Romans 9:27). In fact, in one place in scripture, God said that what He was doing could not be understood even if He explained it. Thus they plundered the Egyptians ( Exodus 12:36 ). I find it remarkable how consistently the New Testament writers see the hand of God in the events surrounding the death of Christ. There is no better example of Gods providence at work through the actions of a sinful man. You will say to me then, Why does He still find fault? Your children, however, whom you said would become a preyI will bring them in, and they will know the land which you have rejected. So while many American Christians worry about what will take place in the coming years I find peace in knowing that God can use even the most unlikely candidates to accomplish His will. (1 Corinthians 1:2629). Our prayers do not alter Gods eternal decree. The book of proverbs also gives us insight into this. And He *said to them, Because of the littleness of your faith; for truly I say to you, if you have faith the size of a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, Move from here to there, and it will move; and nothing will be impossible to you. 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. WebGod will never set man's will aside and use him for a good purpose without his being willing to be used. To put the matter that way raises several other questions: Was Judas predestined by God to betray Jesus? Though absolutely sovereign, all knowing, all wise, and everywhere present, God uses sinners to accomplish His will. 18 For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us. To say it another way, there is a man in hell today who has been there for 2000 years even though what he did advanced Gods plan to save the world. They scoff at kings, And princes are scorned by them. But if all prophesy, and an unbeliever or an ungifted man enters, he is convicted by all, he is called to account by all;read more.the secrets of his heart are disclosed; and so he will fall on his face and worship God, declaring that God is certainly among you. And did not believe in His wonderful works. Do not lament your insufficiency. Its okay to be a nobody, if in all you do, you serve Somebody. His silence spoke more loudly than the foolish claims of his lying accusers. The fact that God ordains both the means and the ends should surely encourage us as we face our own trials. He told the people that Pharaohs army would be wiped out, though he did not know how. God is unimpressed by our collection of readers, likes, retweets, friends, connections, or admirers. In our text, Ex. He reminded Peter that he could call for 12 legions of angels72,000 highly trained, heavily armed members of the Angelic Defense Leagueto come to his rescue at any moment. Also, be sure to stop by our prayer wall. Get our Question of the Week delivered right to your inbox! the master of that slave will come on a day when he does not expect him and at an hour he does not know, and will cut him in pieces, and assign him a place with the unbelievers. 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? Paul, in writing to Corinth, corrected the Churchs misuse of speaking in foreign tongues. Zechariah 11:13Judas would give the money back. But now, the grief of the Egyptians had subsided and was replaced with anger and regret. but it is the purpose of the Lord that will stand. But God gave the command, Moses obeyed the command, and in a sense Moses divided the Sea, as the Lord commanded, and in a more ultimate sense God did the miracle and divided the Red Sea. Or see articles from other writers we feature Here. They move ahead as a determined army spreading violence. WebGod never does evil Himself. Israel stumbled at the stumbling stone, the suffering messiah (Romans 9:31-33). It forces us to live by faith, which is how He wants us to live all the time because it gives Him glory. 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. They had fast horses and were more fierce (more alert, fierce, and sharp) than the hungry wolves that come out to hunt in the evening. For God so loved the world he gave his only begotten son for those who believeth in him should not perish but have everlasting life.. Jesus said the unbelievers failed to give him food, drink, nurse him in His sickness, or visit Him in prison. So through his death, he can have everlasting life on earth. Gods sign of judgment was that they would hear foreign language on the streets of Jerusalem, speaking in a language they did not understand. When we reach a dead end in our own resources, God can part the sea of the impossible and get us through, but I digress. During our conversationwhich lasted two hours and was both cordial and very frankI told him that his religion could not save him. He uses believers and unbelievers. 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. The story of Judas teaches us that nothing happens by accident. WebJohn 3:16. Philippians 3:4-7 - although I myself might have confidence even in the flesh. 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.. But what a privilege it is to be used by God! 1 John 5:14. But we need to grow in faith and obedience. As far as Pilate was concerned, he was ordering an innocent man put to deathwhich is why he tried to wash his hands of the whole affair. All of it happened according to Gods plan. He uses believers and unbelievers. The coming of Messiah was unexpected. Steven Lee is the Pastor of Preaching & Vision at. so that they might escape from the devil's snare, even though they've been held captive by him to do his will. 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. Do not lament your insufficiency. even though I was formerly a blasphemer and a persecutor and a violent aggressor. And the Lord had given the people favor in the sight of the Egyptians, so that they granted them what they requested. This week were looking at the other side of the equation. They thank me for posting my sermons on the internet. For how do you know, O wife, whether you will save your husband? Solomon was DaVinci, Einstein, Bach, Jordan, Augustus, and Shakespeare rolled into one superior man. But we need to grow in faith and obedience. They were afraid. Showing us that our God can and will use anyone even though they dont know Him. But we need to grow in faith and obedience. Then we read this in Exodus 14:13-16: But Moses said to the people, Do not fear! 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. 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. God doesnt need men, but God chooses to use men at times to accomplish His sovereign will. Later Pilate gave in to pressure and ordered Jesus crucified. This week I ate lunch with a man who has recently become an acquaintance through an e-mail correspondence. In such a manner Judas served Gods purposes through his wicked act of betrayal. Although God was at work in the betrayal, you couldnt see it that night. Causing him to not let the people go. Because God does miracles by His own power. God calls the autistic man to give the most profound articulation of his simple faith. In Acts 2 God poured out His Holy Spirit on the disciples who spoke on the streets of Jerusalem in the languages of the Gentiles who were present. His son Jehoahaz became king. This is the grace of God as revealed in His merciful covenant. Yet, God used him to rebuild the temple and allow Jews to return to their land. Be encouraged Christian, God intends to use you in all your multifaceted weakness and obscurity for his glory. They will be held guilty. International Standard Version. It was a period of apostasy and violence. God scoffs at any attempt by me or you to prove our worthiness. They live as if there was no Creator, no moral law, no accountability. Now and then we advance to Easter morning where we discover Gods purpose in our pain. They heap judgment on themselves. Do not lament your insufficiency. C) God uses all eventsgood and badto accomplish his purposes. Egypt made his brother, Jehoiakim, the new king over the Jews. Nothing will ever be able to affect Gods will. I, the Lord, have spoken, surely this I will do to all this evil congregation who are gathered together against Me. So then tongues are for a sign, not to those who believe but to unbelievers; but prophecy is for a sign, not to unbelievers but to those who believe. All rights reserved. In Acts 13:41 he said, Behold, you despisers, Marvel and perish! Jesus is truly the lamb without blemish who died for the sins of the world (John 1:29). Providence means that God is in charge of the entire universe at all times and nothing happens outside his control. 1:21). Because God created all He can use anything in creation. Remember my imprisonment. What an honor to serve the King of kings. Thus they plundered the Egyptians ( Exodus 12:36 ). Here are five specific prophecies that were fulfilled when Judas betrayed Jesus: Psalm 41:9Close friend will betray Christ (see John 13:18). As with the raising of Moses hands by Aaron and Hurt, sharing the gospel, or praying, God delights in and receives glory for himself, when we submit to His will, live by faith, and obey His Word. WebGod will never set man's will aside and use him for a good purpose without his being willing to be used. So through his death, he can have everlasting life on earth. Our prayers aline us with Gods eternal decree. The repentant show Gods unmerited grace to undeserving sinners, and reveal the merciful blessing and goodness of God. Philippians 3:4-7 - although I myself might have confidence even in the flesh. Now relax your hand! And the angel of the Lord was by the threshing floor of Araunah the Jebusite. God asks us to do things we cant do, because it makes us trust IN HIM, not ourselves. I am not a rising star in any field, industry, or arena. After God redeemed Israel from Egypt through a series of ten miraculous plagues, he had Moses lead the people of Israel out of Egypt near the shore of the Red Sea.
Rodney Mitchell Obituary 1980, Articles G
Rodney Mitchell Obituary 1980, Articles G