Everything else in the story fits into Gods plan: The crown of thorns, the scourging, the trials, Pilates testimony, his verdict of death, a man to help carry the cross, the place of deathGolgotha, and the moment of death3 PM, the time when the Passover lambs were sacrificed at the Temple. Strategically, this appeared to be a very unwise move, unless you are God. Peter told the early Christians that the Scripture had to be fulfilled. He meant that the betrayal had to happen the way it did. We know from the sowing and reaping principle that t here will be degrees of torment in the lake of fire. shall by no means see the land which I swore to their fathers, nor shall any of those who spurned Me see it. They do whatever they want. 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. And a woman who has an unbelieving husband, and he consents to live with her, she must not send her husband away. Christianity is not about religion, its about a life-changing relationship with the Son of God. When God determines where we will end up, he also determines how we will get there. 1 John 5:14. God is unimpressed. His plan in doing so was to bless all people. Nothing that happened to Jesus that night or later on Good Friday made sense when it happened. 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. Do not be bound together with unbelievers; for what partnership have righteousness and lawlessness, or what fellowship has light with darkness? In the beginning Satan challenged Gods right to rule. A) We bow in submission before the mysterious ways of God. 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. 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. Moses didnt have any power to bring the ten plagues upon Egypt either. Get our Question of the Week delivered right to your inbox! This is the confidence which we have before Him, that, if we ask The fact that God ordains both the means and the ends should surely encourage us as we face our own trials. WebWhat if God, willing to shew his wrath, and to make his power known, endured with much longsuffering the vessels of wrath fitted to destruction: 1 Peter 2:8 And a stone of stumbling, and a rock of offence, even to them which stumble at the word, being disobedient: whereunto also they were appointed. He could have just caused them to drop dead. If not, we have reason to question whether our faith is real. In the words of a 19th century writer, hatred, treachery and deceit will not prevail against the church of God. 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. 1:21). We are saved by living faith in the Son of Godnot by outward religious observance. God Can Use Unbelievers part 1: Cyrus 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. God will deal with them according to his plan, but first, He will use them for His own covenant judgment. This is the attitude of the evil heart in all ages. It is only as we look back that we see clearly that God was there all along, working behind the scenes for our good and his glory. Here is my answer: He allowed Judas to betray Jesus so that Jesus could become the Savior of the world. 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. But we learn that over time a new Pharaoh arose who did not know Joseph or respect what Joseph had done (Ex. God scoffs at any attempt by me or you to prove our worthiness. We are called to be among his faithful people. Even those who dont believe and even speak against. From the earliest days of Jesus life we find the Jewish leaders conspiring against him. They were evil cowards who hated the Son of God but feared a popular uprising if they tried to arrest him. 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). God commissions the invalid retiree to uphold dozens, even hundreds of missionaries on the field. God reigns over the nations; God sits on His holy throne ( Psalm 47:8 ). In fact, in one place in scripture, God said that what He was doing could not be understood even if He explained it. God could have had the earth swallow up the Amalekites. When they offered him 30 pieces of silver, he readily accepted even though that was the going price for a slave. Many that people can plan to do much but is God that will always have the final say. Thanks for your interest! Philippians 3:4-7 - although I myself might have confidence even in the flesh. God Can Use Unbelievers part 1: Cyrus God use non-believers to help His people God Uses God has the amazing ability to do things that simply do not make sense to mankind. Two verses later, in Rom. They heap judgment on themselves. His betrayal proved that the Jewish leaders were far from innocent bystanders in the death of Christ. Why bother praying to a God who isnt? but it is the purpose of the Lord that will stand. God They looked to themselves for their power. We see this all the way through the Bible. I also answer yes. Then God, in His sovereign power and will, takes our weak and fallible service, and accomplishes His will, like parting the Red Sea. God didnt need to have Moses lift up his staff. 1:37). Is it true that God cannot look upon sin? 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. God Uses But among the leaders of the nation, only a few followed Christand they became secret believers for fear of persecution by their brethren. His He was a brilliant poet, a skillful songwriter, a genius botanist, and a first-class biologist. 28 And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose. He stands behind it indirectly, but He directly stands behind good. And did not believe in His wonderful works. Pastor, Expository Preacher, Author, Trainer of Preachers and Bible Teachers. No, its a mystery. I have heard the complaints of the sons of Israel, which they are making against Me. In the providence of God, the betrayal by Judas actually advanced Gods purpose in the world. Gods plan included the time of Jesus deathPassover, the placeJerusalem, the opposition by the Jewish leaders, and the betrayal by Judas. As they plotted how to murder Jesus they had no idea they were accomplishing Gods will. WebWhat if God, willing to shew his wrath, and to make his power known, endured with much longsuffering the vessels of wrath fitted to destruction: 1 Peter 2:8 And a stone of stumbling, and a rock of offence, even to them which stumble at the word, being disobedient: whereunto also they were appointed. 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. Most people in the world have no experience of lasting joy in their lives. What Jesus Wants Emphasized In His Church! Assyria had fallen when Nineveh, its capitol, was destroyed in 612 BC. 14 But the Pharisees went out and conspired against him, how to destroy him. 4:5). God uses pathetic people for his glorious purposes to show his superior power. Their end will be most awful. If God did the miracles without Moses, amazing things would have happened, but the people would not have known what was going on or what to do. God has the amazing ability to do things that simply do not make sense to mankind. But God did just that and used a sinning Gentile to begin the process of restoring Israel. When we do that we become His instruments to accomplish His sovereign will. 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. Tell the sons of Israel to go forward. Then we read this in Exodus 14:13-16: But Moses said to the people, Do not fear! Though absolutely sovereign, all knowing, all wise, and everywhere present, God uses sinners to accomplish His will. God picks the scrawniest little girl to lead off on his kickball team. Judas solved their problem by volunteering to betray the Lord. But he chose instead to allow himself to be arrested, knowing that this would fulfill Gods plan. The Pharisees came out and began to argue with Him, seeking from Him a sign from heaven, to test Him. How will they preach unless they are sent? 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 doesnt matter if you have theology degrees or mothered a dozen healthy, happy children or started several 501(c)3s to feed the poor and end trafficking. The greater the pain, the harder it is to see Gods fingerprints. God uses pathetic people for his glorious purposes to show his superior power. He even turns wicked hearts to serve his Sovereign purpose. Do not begrudge your weakness. 1 And Saul approved of his execution. Egypt and the Neo-Babylonians were competing for world dominance. This is the grace of God as revealed in His merciful covenant. He dealt with his doubts and confusion in the right way, he turned to God, not to his own understanding. There are so many amazing things in these few verses. Wisdom didnt guard him against a wandering heart. One final point is in order. 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. God doesnt need men, but God chooses to use men at times to accomplish His sovereign will. First, we see the faith of Moses. Jump to Previous Why? Is that a contradiction? B) We entrust our lives to the God who cares for us. Literal Standard Version. 16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. WebGod was about to turn to the Gentiles as He judged Israel as a nation for her unbelief. Solomon was DaVinci, Einstein, Bach, Jordan, Augustus, and Shakespeare rolled into one superior man. Steven Lee is the Pastor of Preaching & Vision at. Before the Apostle Paul wrote his letter he was known as Saul. God is unimpressed by our collection of readers, likes, retweets, friends, connections, or admirers. For how do you know, O wife, whether you will save your husband? Two questions confront us as we consider the story of Judas: Last weeks sermon dealt with the first question. WebGod never does evil Himself. God God blesses those in whom he stirs to obedience, and judges disobedience. When Moses spoke these words to all the sons of Israel, the people mourned greatly. Israel as a nation had rejected the promises of Moses and the Prophets culminating in the demand for the death of Jesus, Gods Messiah. They gather captives like sand. We have one life to use, and the usefulness of that one life depends not on our rsum or even how much we know. 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. God Works His Will Philippians 3:4-7 - although I myself might have confidence even in the flesh. God 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. 1:8). He clings to his sin like a drowning man to an iron life preserver. Its something we can clearly see within the pages of our Bible. His silence spoke more loudly than the foolish claims of his lying accusers. 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. Nor grumble, as some of them did, and were destroyed by the destroyer. These lessons simply teach us that God can take that which is evil and use it for his own good purposes. Yet both declare His awesome glory. God strengthened Cyrus so that he could conquer nations and overcome opposition Thus says the Lord God to His 2. 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. He was ready to die for his Master and intended to take a few of the bad guys with him. Do not lament your insufficiency. We see this all the way through the Bible. I have an unimpressive family background and do not come from a long line of important people. A most astonishing way of fulfilling that prophesy. and they will tell it to the inhabitants of this land. God promised to precede Cyrus and destroy all opposition that Cyrus would face: 'I will go before you and make the 3. (Bible quotations are from the New King James Version of the Bible unless otherwise noted.). Who would have had his own beliefs and gods that contradicted much of the Bible. But they feared to do it during the Feast of Unleavened Bread because of the crowds that thronged Jerusalem. But we need to grow in faith and obedience. so that they might escape from the devil's snare, even though they've been held captive by him to do his will. God sometimes use evil to accomplish His plans (Habakkuk Now and then we advance to Easter morning where we discover Gods purpose in our pain. He stands behind it indirectly, but He directly stands behind good. God then raised up Moses and his brother Aaron as instruments to deliver the people of Israel from cruel bondage. To put the matter that way raises several other questions: Was Judas predestined by God to betray Jesus? Why? International Standard Version. Causing him to not let the people go. God uses pathetic people for his glorious purposes to show his superior power. 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. 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. God Uses Many People to Accomplish His Purposes All the inhabitants of the earth are accounted as nothing, But He does according to His will in the host of heaven, will have mercy on whom I have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I have compassion. And there arose on that day a great persecution against the church in Jerusalem, and they were all scattered throughout the regions of Judea and Samaria, except the apostles.

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