Guiding our world whether we are able to see it or not. To put the matter that way raises several other questions: Was Judas predestined by God to betray Jesus? 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. At the beginning of their sojourn, Joseph was ruler of Egypt, a son of Jacob, and watched over his own. They wanted him dead and used Judas as a convenient means to that ugly end. That literally means, I find no basis for any of the charges brought against this man. In modern terms, you might call it a Summary Judgment in favor of Jesus. Yet I was shown mercy because I acted ignorantly in unbelief; Immediately the boys father cried out and said, I do believe; help my unbelief.. Every evil in the world must somehow serve Gods purpose. He betrayed the Lord but ended up vindicating him. 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.. So the emphasis of the chapter is on Gods working out His purpose through ordinary people who obey Him. Being a creative, innovative or highly effective leader is insufficient. also we have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to His purpose who works all things after the counsel of His will, All the inhabitants of the earth are accounted as nothing,But He does according to His will in the host of heavenAnd among the inhabitants of earth;And no one can ward off His handOr say to Him, What have You done?. Get your Bible. 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. His story is unique in that he claims to be a Christian even though he has chosen a way of life that God calls an abomination. Each time Moses would perform a mighty sign to convince Pharaoh of Gods power but each time God would harden his heart. 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. But one and the same Spirit works all these things, distributing to each one individually just as He wills. 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. This could be the begging of a time of great growth for the church. Though used of God to complete his plan, those who crucified our Lord were still personally wicked and godless in what they did. Nothing is ever left to chance with God. This was Moses advice to the people of Israel when facing the imminent threat of death, and it is true for us as well when facing any trial. God promised to precede Cyrus and destroy all opposition that Cyrus would face: 'I will go before you and make the 3. His words imply that all the torment will be tolerable. But the fact of the matter is it wasnt me! New American Standard Bible Copyright 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation, La Habra, Calif. All rights reserved. His plan in doing so was to bless all people. His son Jehoahaz became king. But the Jews, becoming jealous and taking along some wicked men from the market place, formed a mob and set the city in an uproar; and attacking the house of Jason, they were seeking to bring them out to the people. Judas didnt know itand doesnt get any credit for itbut his dastardly deed actually fulfilled predictions given by the Holy Spirit hundreds of years before he was born. 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. Moses was sent by the Lord multiple times to Pharaoh asking for the release of the Hebrews. International Standard Version. and be astounded! During this period, foreign powers invaded Israel again and again, and inside the nation known as Gods people, evil and immorality raged. God wanted the people of Israel to look to Moses as their God appointed human leader and deliverer. Or what harmony has Christ with Belial, or what has a believer in common with an unbeliever? Training for Preachers and Teachers of God's Word, Want to know what an RSS feed is and how it works? 10:14-15). The fact that God ordains both the means and the ends should surely encourage us as we face our own trials. Though absolutely sovereign, all knowing, all wise, and everywhere present, God uses sinners to accomplish His will. 13:17). Are we becoming more like Jesus by the power of the Spirit? Unbelievers Are blinded by the God of this world 2 Corinthians 4:4 Verse Concepts 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. 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. This week were looking at the other side of the equation. 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. Their end will be most awful. Habakkuk 1:7-11, They are terrible and dreadful; Their judgment and their dignity proceed from themselves. In those moments we often feel alone in the chaos of circumstances as life tumbles in around us. 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. In fact, in one place in scripture, God said that what He was doing could not be understood even if He explained it. The gospel writers record many Old Testament prophecies that were fulfilled in the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ. 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. The Pharisees came out and began to argue with Him, seeking from Him a sign from heaven, to test Him. Everything fits into Gods plan. He wants us to trust in Him, to rely on Him, to cry out to Him, and then give Him glory for delivering us. God used this unlikely group of people to accomplish His greatest work and they had no idea. Jesus point is clear, The King will answer and say to them, Truly I say to you, to the extent that you did it to one of these brothers of Mine, even the least of them, you did it to Me.. I have heard the complaints of the sons of Israel, which they are making against Me. But it does mean everything will happen as God sees fit. God is not the author of sin, but He can use sinful men to attain an objective. Grace be with you. 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. God uses pathetic people for his glorious purposes to show his superior power. This is the attitude of the evil heart in all ages. Second, the proper response to any trial or danger is to not fear but stand by and see the salvation of the Lord. How many times do we fret and worry and then see the Lord deliver us and realize that all of our anxiety and fretting was for naught, that it accomplished nothing, but was an expression of our sinful doubt? I dont speak on any circuits, have given no TED talks, and have been the keynote speaker less than once. How can I believe in the goodness of God when there is so much evil in the world? God reigns over the nations; God sits on His holy throne ( Psalm 47:8 ). What does it mean that the righteous will live by faith (Habakkuk 2:4)? Two questions stand out: 1) Did Jesus actually descend into hell? The Lord can never be blamed for evil, but evil does not take p. God never does evil Himself. He stands behind it indirectly, but He directly stands behind good. God has the amazing ability to do things that simply do not make sense to mankind. God has sinners pray and answers the prayers of sinners that are according to His will, getting glory for himself. God sovereignly saves sinners, yet, He often uses sinners to accomplish His sovereign will. His silence spoke more loudly than the foolish claims of his lying accusers. The glory of His nature and attributes will be made known in full. Grace be with you. He stands behind it indirectly, but He directly stands behind good. God could by-pass us and do everything himself, but He does not. Compared to you or me, King Solomon had it all wisdom, wealth, fame, power. But they feared to do it during the Feast of Unleavened Bread because of the crowds that thronged Jerusalem. But this much is clear: He never believed that Jesus was guilty of any crime. 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. (see Acts 1:20). Lesson 7 The Interpretation of Scripture, Lesson 5a Boundaries of the Doctrine of Creation, Primeval Chronology by Dr. William Henry Green, Lesson 8 Gods Special Providence & Miracles, Lesson 10 Assurance of Grace and Salvation, Lesson 2 Christian Liberty and Liberty of Conscience, Lesson 3 The Regulative Principle of Worship, Lesson 4a The Elements of Regulated Worship, Lesson 4b The Elements of Regulated Worship, Lesson 1 An Overview of Special Eschatology, Lesson 2 -The Great Tribulation of Matthew 24, Lesson 3 The Millennium of Revelation 20, A Guide for Small Group Bible Study Leaders, Defending the Biblical Faith by what God Shows Us, Lessons in the Westminster Shorter Catechsim, The Inspiration of the Treasured Word of God, Summary of the 45th General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church in America, The Holy Spirit In the Ministry of the Word, The Necessity of Biblical Love in the Believers Life, Keep Your Bible Skills Sharp and Ready (part 2), Keep Your Bible Skills Sharp and Ready (Part 1). The fact that God ordains both the means and the ends should surely encourage us as we face our own trials. Will we show forth Gods glory in our obedience and in our receiving of His covenant blessing? God chooses the custodian with a heavy accent to share the gospel and save lives. How beautiful! For he sees that even wise men die;The stupid and the senseless alike perishAnd leave their wealth to others. Be encouraged Christian, God intends to use you in all your multifaceted weakness and obscurity for his glory. God can use even you even me. 1:22). This week I ate lunch with a man who has recently become an acquaintance through an e-mail correspondence. Get our Question of the Week delivered right to your inbox! Here is my answer: He allowed Judas to betray Jesus so that Jesus could become the Savior of the world. Herod the Great tried to kill him in Bethlehem. Habakkuk 1:5, Look among the nations and watch Be utterly astounded! The Lord will fight for you while you keep silent. Then the Lord said to Moses, Why are you crying out to Me? It was their God, or at least the God of Moses, that just killed all the first born of Egypt. Yet both declare His awesome glory. A God who can bring something good out of betrayal can be trusted to accomplish his work in your life. Eventually, Pharaoh decided to use the Jews for slave labor. 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. Questions? We might make Jim Collins proud, but God yawns at our leadership abilities. Literal Standard Version. The unbelievers, become confused, not remembering ever having the opportunity to serve Jesus. Surely all the men who have seen My glory and My signs which I performed in Egypt and in the wilderness, yet have put Me to the test these ten times and have not listened to My voice. International Standard Version. so that they might escape from the devil's snare, even though they've been held captive by him to do his will. And goes on to say, How then will they call on Him in whom they have not believed? God ordains the means and the ends of life. They live as if there was no Creator, no moral law, no accountability. Remember my imprisonment. 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. New American Standard Bible Copyright 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation, La Habra, Calif. All rights reserved. Their horses also are swifter than leopards, And more fierce than evening wolves. Stating that the plans of men are many but it is the purpose of the Lord that will stand. God uses all those who humble themselves before the cross, boasting only in him his strength, his wisdom, his righteousness, his accomplishment. The ungodly show the futility of their rebellion, the awful penalty of sin, and the just wrath of God. God could have had the earth swallow up the Amalekites. Often in the confusion of life, we cant see the ends, much less the means God intends for us. I have heard the complaints of the sons of Israel, which they are making against Me. Did Jesus Descend Into Hell? Suggestions? God will use it even if you do not understand how. Christianity is not about religion, its about a life-changing relationship with the Son of God. In this period of Judahs last kings, the Prophets warned of the fulfillment of this covenant promise. Zechariah 11:13Judas would give the money back. 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. But He is unique and who can turn Him?And what His soul desires, that He does. Solomon was DaVinci, Einstein, Bach, Jordan, Augustus, and Shakespeare rolled into one superior man. Why bother praying to a God who isnt? Gods Ability To Use Unlikely People Even Unbelievers. Now if You slay this people as one man, then the nations who have heard of Your fame will say. But now, the grief of the Egyptians had subsided and was replaced with anger and regret. 12:35-36). God has the amazing ability to do things that simply do not make sense to mankind. The people of Jacob were trapped. Gods covenant warned from the beginning that if Israel fell into sin God would use a foreign heathen nation to bring judgment upon them. We see this clearly in the life of Christ. 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). We know from the sowing and reaping principle that t here will be degrees of torment in the lake of fire. Sighing deeply in His spirit, He *said, Why does this generation seek for a sign? 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 strengthened Cyrus so that he could conquer nations and overcome opposition Thus says the Lord God to His 2. Having all the wisdom in the world didnt guarantee fidelity. We should never presume to say to an unbeliever, God loves you and has a wonderful plan for your life. We cant know that. As the persecution he inflicted was just the jump-start the early church needed to start taking the Gospel to the rest of the world. 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. You truly never know God could be doing something right that we wouldnt understand even if He told us. Remember my imprisonment. 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.. God wants to use those who look away from their self-sufficiency to his all-sufficiency. Gods Prophet Jeremiah warned of Gods judgment. Egypt made his brother, Jehoiakim, the new king over the Jews. Remember my imprisonment. It can be fairly said that the common people by and large respected Jesus and responded positively to his message. God picks the scrawniest little girl to lead off on his kickball team. Providence means that God is in charge of the entire universe at all times and nothing happens outside his control. He stands behind it indirectly, but He directly stands behind good. How will they preach unless they are sent? His plan in doing so was to bless all people. He does this for obvious reasons. You do not have His word abiding in you, for you do not believe Him whom He sent. 2:11). Jesus immediately restored the ear and told Peter to put down his sword. God uses pathetic people for his glorious purposes to show his superior power. Though there were still many who had remained faithful, others no longer followed the words of the Prophets. 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? In Acts 13:41 he said, Behold, you despisers, Marvel and perish! The way to heaven is only Jesus and Jesus only.. They do whatever they want. But we need to grow in faith and obedience. In our text, Ex. They were in an impossible situation with no way out. Scripture even points to the fact that God used Cyrus even though he didnt know God. It was the tech team, the web master, the secretary, or whoever posted my sermon on line. We see this all the way through the Bible. Paul, in writing to Corinth, corrected the Churchs misuse of speaking in foreign tongues. These lessons simply teach us that God can take that which is evil and use it for his own good purposes. Is that a contradiction? When Moses spoke these words to all the sons of Israel, the people mourned greatly. In the time of the New Testament after the resurrection of Jesus Christ, we see the expansion of Gods Covenant to include Gentile believers drawn to the Savor by the Gospel. Pentecost was a sign to the unbelieving of Israel that they had broken the covenant and stood deserving of Gods judgment and wrath. But God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise; God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong; God chose what is low and despised in the world, even things that are not, to bring to nothing things that are, so that no human being might boast in the presence of God. Moses give the Israelites specific instruction and visible representation from the invisible God. 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. God was revealing that He was going to use this ungodly power for judgment upon his own straying people. or will we in our rebellion demonstrate the just curse of His covenant warnings? They thank me for posting my sermons on the internet. They make a joke out of those who dare to not submit to them. Jesus waved him off by declaring, All this was done that the Scriptures of the prophets might be fulfilled (Matthew 26:56). They move ahead as a determined army spreading violence. When they offered him 30 pieces of silver, he readily accepted even though that was the going price for a slave. I also answer yes. So then He has mercy on whom He desires, and He hardens whom He desires. The sheep representing believers who did Gods will and the goats representing unbelievers who do not do Gods will. The Prophet Habakkuk wrote during the troubled times before Judahs captivity. Finally, they suborned perjury by putting forward false witnesses who produced contradictory testimony. When Isaiah 53:1 speaks of the future coming of the Messiah, literally it says, who would have believed the thing reported? His birth as a baby who would grow up, suffer and die was most unexpected. I am sure God has many reasons for doing the things He does in the way and timing of His choosing, but lets consider some likely reasons He used Moses, a sinner, to be the instrument of His sovereign, miraculous work of dividing the Red Sea. Philippians 3:4-7 - although I myself might have confidence even in the flesh. In the beginning Satan challenged Gods right to rule. Holman Old Testament Commentary: Hosea, Joel, Amos, Obadiah, Jonah, Micah by Trent Butler. For the unbelieving husband is sanctified through his wife, and the unbelieving wife is sanctified through her believing husband; for otherwise your children are unclean, but now they are holy.
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