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. Gods sign of judgment was that they would hear foreign language on the streets of Jerusalem, speaking in a language they did not understand. For this reason God purposefully led the wondering multitude to a place where there was no possible way of escape from Pharaoh and his army, humanly speaking. 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. Amen. Guiding our world whether we are able to see it or not. 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. Their chargers charge ahead; Their cavalry comes from afar; They fly as the eagle that hastens to eat. Then his mind changes, and he transgresses; He commits offense, Ascribing this power to his god.. But as for you, your corpses will fall in this wilderness. God Will Use Even You Your children, however, whom you said would become a preyI will bring them in, and they will know the land which you have rejected. The Pharisees came out and began to argue with Him, seeking from Him a sign from heaven, to test Him. When Judas kissed Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane, Peter impulsively grabbed his sword and started swinging. God sometimes use evil to accomplish His plans (Habakkuk If so, did he have a choice? The evil ones believe pridefully that their own imagined gods have blessed them. 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. Moses give the Israelites specific instruction and visible representation from the invisible God. Does God Accomplish His Purpose in Our Do not lament your insufficiency. Things may seem impossible, and for men, they might be impossible, but nothing is impossible with God (Lk. And goes on to say, How then will they call on Him in whom they have not believed? Verse Concepts. For Permission to Quote Information visit http://www.lockman.org. 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.. God In the providence of God, the betrayal by Judas actually advanced Gods purpose in the world. Habakkuk learned that the material success of the ungodly is not a reliable measure of their true success. Zechariah 11:1230 pieces of silver (see Matthew 26:15). 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. 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. God doesnt need men, but God chooses to use men at times to accomplish His sovereign will. When the angel stretched out his hand toward Jerusalem to destroy it, the Lord relented from the calamity and said to the angel who destroyed the people, It is enough! We know from the sowing and reaping principle that t here will be degrees of torment in the lake of fire. B) We entrust our lives to the God who cares for us. But as for you, your corpses will fall in this wilderness. Nothing that happened to Jesus that night or later on Good Friday made sense when it happened. Were they to voluntarily all drown? But we need to grow in faith and obedience. His C) We place our confidence in Gods ultimate purpose for us. It was all the Lord. God calls the autistic man to give the most profound articulation of his simple faith. But this much is clear: He never believed that Jesus was guilty of any crime. In many cases without them even realizing that they were being used by God. Able to do exceedingly and abundantly using unlikely people to further His plans. 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. 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. Fifth, and the point I want to focus on, is that the Lord 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. I find this very interesting and encouraging. It even included the price Judas would receive for his act of treachery30 pieces of silver. The Prophet Habakkuk wrote during the troubled times before Judahs captivity. God promised to precede Cyrus and destroy all opposition that Cyrus would face: 'I will go before you and make the 3. and be astounded! But now, I pray, let the power of the Lord be great, just as You have declared, Pardon, I pray, the iniquity of this people according to the greatness of Your lovingkindness, just as You also have forgiven this people, from Egypt even until now., but indeed, as I live, all the earth will be filled with the glory of the. When Judas actually betrayed Jesus in the Garden, Peter immediately sprang to his defense. Why? Here are some examples: Two questions stand out: 1) Did Jesus actually descend into hell? 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. verses about Unbelievers Philippians 3:4-7 - although I myself might have confidence even in the flesh. The sad story of Judas stands as a warning to religious people not to trust in their religion. 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? So the emphasis of the chapter is on Gods working out His purpose through ordinary people who obey Him. Understanding God in Troubled Times God was rejecting their national privilege, and turning to the Gentiles to populate his Covenant Nation on Earth. God uses all those who humble themselves before the cross, boasting only in him his strength, his wisdom, his righteousness, his accomplishment. When Moses spoke these words to all the sons of Israel, the people mourned greatly. 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. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. God Uses But through the lens of the New Testament, he is seen as a wicked man. And did not believe in His wonderful works. When we do that we become His instruments to accomplish His sovereign will. The story of Judas teaches us that nothing happens by accident. Did Jesus Descend Into Hell? Or how do you know, O husband, whether you will save your wife? You have entered an incorrect email address! His Remember my imprisonment. Their horses also are swifter than leopards, And more fierce than evening wolves. The Lord will fight for you while you keep silent. Then the Lord said to Moses, Why are you crying out to Me? 1 John 5:14. Other examples could be added to this list. International Standard Version. 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. Through one mans treachery, Jesus proves himself a man of peacenot a man of war. 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. ", Writing & Teaching Inductive Bible Studies. Philippians 3:4-7 - although I myself might have confidence even in the flesh. Will we show forth Gods glory in our obedience and in our receiving of His covenant blessing? This could be the begging of a time of great growth for the church. 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). 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. 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. We pray because God is sovereign and all powerful. Then we read this in Exodus 14:13-16: But Moses said to the people, Do not fear! God uses pathetic people for his glorious purposes to show his superior power. God doesnt need men, but God chooses to use men at times to accomplish His sovereign will. Many that people can plan to do much but is God that will always have the final say. Even today there are those who are arrogant and have no honor for God as He reveals Himself in Scripture. Yet, God used him to rebuild the temple and allow Jews to return to their land. God has the amazing ability to do things that simply do not make sense to mankind. Everyday Apostolic 2019 | All Rights Reserved, Gods Ability To Use Unlikely People Even Unbelievers, Canceling Church On Christmas Removes Christ From Christmas, Great Resources On Baptism In The Name Of Jesus, A Diluted Christianity: Oneness, Trinitarian, Or Is It All Just Irrelevant, Youre Not David Pastor Raymond Woodward, The Walking Bible Pastor Raymond Woodward, Wait On The Lord by James Wilson NAYC 2019, If I Shout/Lets Testify Medley FAC Sanctuary Choir. God Uses Many People to Accomplish His Purposes 1:21). I didnt attend an Ivy League school. Summary Gods plan included the time of Jesus deathPassover, the placeJerusalem, the opposition by the Jewish leaders, and the betrayal by Judas. They had been in Egypt under Egyptian task masters for 400 years. God uses all those who humble themselves before the cross, boasting only in him his strength, his wisdom, his righteousness, his accomplishment. 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 God desires to save someone, He raises up Christians to preach the gospel. In the beginning Satan challenged Gods right to rule. We all understand that God intended that Jesus would die for the sins of the world. And the Lord had given the people favor in the sight of the Egyptians, so that they granted them what they requested. 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.. We see this all the way through the Bible. 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.