The fact that God ordains both the means and the ends should surely encourage us as we face our own trials. How will they believe in Him whom they have not heard? Those who were rebelling against God had become apathetic. God was rejecting their national privilege, and turning to the Gentiles to populate his Covenant Nation on Earth. In their very act of oppression, they unknowingly serve the glory of the Creator. He uses believers and unbelievers. Moses give the Israelites specific instruction and visible representation from the invisible God. Anyone who resists God risks falling into spiritual deception (2 Anyone who resists God risks falling into spiritual deception (2 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. Egypt and the Neo-Babylonians were competing for world dominance. Showing us that our God can and will use anyone even though they dont know Him. Then we read this in Exodus 14:13-16: But Moses said to the people, Do not fear! 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. They live as if there was no Creator, no moral law, no accountability. 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). God doesnt need men, but God chooses to use men at times to accomplish His sovereign will. God chooses the custodian with a heavy accent to share the gospel and save lives. But we need to grow in faith and obedience. How can I believe in the goodness of God when there is so much evil in the world? Do not begrudge your weakness. Fourth, Gods command seemed impossible to obey. and be astounded! We see this all the way through the Bible. Another unlikely person used by God was King Cyrus of Persia. 1 John 5:14. Paul used this verse from Habakkuk to warn the foolish despisers of the gospel. Peter didnt see it, he only saw the treachery of Judas. No buildings, streets, or hospitals have been named in honor of me. 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. 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. Judas didnt know it, and neither did the disciples, but Gods fingerprints were all over his act of betrayal. He told Moses, Tell the sons of Israel to go forward. But how? God asks us to do things we cant do, because it makes us trust IN HIM, not ourselves. (see Acts 1:20). He predestined us to adoption as sons through Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the kind intention of His will. "Equipping and encouraging people to keep believing in Jesus", Copyright 2020 Keep Believing Ministries. Thus they plundered the Egyptians ( Exodus 12:36 ). God uses all those who humble themselves before the cross, boasting only in him his strength, his wisdom, his righteousness, his accomplishment. For I will work a work in your days Which you would not believe, though it were told you.. So through his death, he can have everlasting life on earth. It was their God, or at least the God of Moses, that just killed all the first born of Egypt. The Lord can never be blamed for evil, but evil does not take p. God never does evil Himself. Jump to Previous But what a privilege it is to be used by God! All rights reserved. He stands behind it indirectly, but He directly stands behind good. And goes on to say, How then will they call on Him in whom they have not believed? 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. And the Lord had given the people favor in the sight of the Egyptians, so that they granted them what they requested. 14:11). Truly I say to you, no sign will be given to this generation., Truth Of God Is denied by Unbelievers, the Truth of God Is denied by Unbelievers, Unbelievers Are blinded by the God of this world, Unbelievers Will be classed with outbreaking sinners in eternity, Unbelievers Their lifetime spent in vanity, Unbelievers Shall be judged by God's word in the last day, Will be classed with outbreaking sinners in eternity, Shall be judged by God's word in the last day. Jesus, in the Olivet Discourse, gave the parable of the sheep and the goats. And a woman who has an unbelieving husband, and he consents to live with her, she must not send her husband away. The Neo-Babylonians were dominated by Chaldean kings. Anyone who resists God risks falling into spiritual deception (2 But we need to grow in faith and obedience. The total number of prophecies is well over 100. In the words of a 19th century writer, hatred, treachery and deceit will not prevail against the church of God. His silence spoke more loudly than the foolish claims of his lying accusers. Take care, brethren, that there not be in any one of you an evil, unbelieving heart that falls away from the living God. Truly I say to you, no sign will be given to this generation.. During his ministry his greatest opposition came from the Pharisees, the Sadducees, the scribes and the teachers of the Law. 2 He is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the sins of the whole world. Because they did not believe in GodAnd did not trust in His salvation. The Prophet was told to look around him and see what was going on among the nations, observe! It can be fairly said that the common people by and large respected Jesus and responded positively to his message. Really, its just fine. Embrace your weakness, so that the power of Christ may rest upon you to reveal Gods surpassing greatness (2 Corinthians 12:9). Though absolutely sovereign, all knowing, all wise, and everywhere present, God uses sinners to accomplish His will. Here are some examples: Is that a contradiction? C) God uses all eventsgood and badto accomplish his purposes. God reigns over the nations; God sits on His holy throne ( Psalm 47:8 ). You have entered an incorrect email address! Even today there are those who are arrogant and have no honor for God as He reveals Himself in Scripture. 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. All of these people are unlikely choices to be used by God since they didnt truly know or believe in Him. The phrase all this refers to the betrayal, the circumstances surrounding it, and the circumstances flowing from it. Even Jesus cannot save a man who claims his sin is not really sinful. 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. I answer yes. Verse Concepts. 3 But Saul was ravaging the church, and entering house after house, he dragged off men and women and committed them to prison. Jesus said to them, If you were blind, you would have no sin; but since you say, We see, your sin remains. Often in the confusion of life, we cant see the ends, much less the means God intends for us. Even those who dont believe and even speak against. Things may seem impossible, and for men, they might be impossible, but nothing is impossible with God (Lk. Summary He who rejects Me and does not receive My sayings, has one who judges him; the word I spoke is what will judge him at the last day. I have received no honorary doctorates. It is not our responsibility to determine how God will use us, but it is our responsibility to be faithful to obey the Word of God. Thats where the judgment will come from. Jesus responded to the false testimony by saying nothing at all. 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. Habakkuk 1:7-11, They are terrible and dreadful; Their judgment and their dignity proceed from themselves. An unlikely person to be used by God. Habakkuk learned that the material success of the ungodly is not a reliable measure of their true success. You do not have His word abiding in you, for you do not believe Him whom He sent. but it is the purpose of the Lord that will stand. WebGod was about to turn to the Gentiles as He judged Israel as a nation for her unbelief. We pray because we believe God, because we want to trust in God, praise God, ask God for things we cant do ourselves. Everything fits into Gods plan. The evil ones believe pridefully that their own imagined gods have blessed them. Do not be bound together with unbelievers; for what partnership have righteousness and lawlessness, or what fellowship has light with darkness? Eventually, Pharaoh decided to use the Jews for slave labor. We see this all the way through the Bible. 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. 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. Thus they plundered the Egyptians ( Exodus 12:36 ). One swing of his sword whacked off the ear of Malchus, servant to the High Priest. The Lord said to Moses, How long will this people spurn Me? The manner of the judgment would be unexpected. God will deal with them according to his plan, but first, He will use them for His own covenant judgment. Copyright 2002-2023 Got Questions Ministries. We all understand that God intended that Jesus would die for the sins of the world. Why would God allow his Son to suffer such indignity at the hands of one who claimed to be his friend? His betrayal proved that the Jewish leaders were far from innocent bystanders in the death of Christ. and they will tell it to the inhabitants of this land. God has the amazing ability to do things that simply do not make sense to mankind. 17:8-13). God reigns over the nations; God sits on His holy throne ( Psalm 47:8 ). 16 But for this purpose I have raised you up, to show you my power, so that my name may be proclaimed in all the earth. Then God, in His sovereign power and will, takes our weak and fallible service, and accomplishes His will, like parting the Red Sea. WebThe Scripture teaches that God achieves His purpose in unbelievers. Strategically, this appeared to be a very unwise move, unless you are God. Having all the wisdom in the world didnt guarantee fidelity. Two verses later, in Rom. C) We place our confidence in Gods ultimate purpose for us. (Video #2), Lesson 2: Gods Use of the Ungodly Habakkuk 1:5-11. The glory of His nature and attributes will be made known in full. This warning was made clear in the ancient covenant revealed long before through Moses in Deuteronomy 28. Often in the confusion of life, we cant see the ends, much less the means God intends for us. God will bring ultimate and final judgment upon all ungodliness. Or how do you know, O husband, whether you will save your wife? God doesnt need men, but God chooses to use men at times to accomplish His sovereign will. Nothing will ever be able to affect Gods will. Soon they will be raised up from that struggle to full power. 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. International Standard Version. This is the confidence which we have before Him, that, if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. And how long will they not believe in Me, despite all the signs which I have performed in their midst? 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. 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. And a woman who has an unbelieving husband, and he consents to live with her, she must not send her husband away. That is what moving forward would require, or so it seemed. Questions? In this period of Judahs last kings, the Prophets warned of the fulfillment of this covenant promise. The thing he values the most is dragging him down to eternal damnation. 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. More insights from your Bible study - Get Started with Logos Bible Software for Free! Philippians 3:4-7 - although I myself might have confidence even in the flesh. 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. A man who lived in a time in which only Jews served the one true God. Thanks for your interest! Do not lament your insufficiency. First, the people of Israel were for the most part leaderless. This could be the begging of a time of great growth for the church. It was the tech team, the web master, the secretary, or whoever posted my sermon on line. Those who read my words are in many different situations: May I repeat what I just said: He has not brought us this far to cause us to fail. 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). WebGod will never set man's will aside and use him for a good purpose without his being willing to be used. Literal Standard Version. 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? Though used by God for his purposes, the ungodly are still evil. Gods Ability To Use Unlikely People Even Unbelievers. Amen. 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). 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. But we learn that over time a new Pharaoh arose who did not know Joseph or respect what Joseph had done (Ex. WebGod was about to turn to the Gentiles as He judged Israel as a nation for her unbelief. In such a manner Judas served Gods purposes through his wicked act of betrayal. 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. God can use even you even me. God often reveals himself in most unexpected ways. Jesus said the unbelievers failed to give him food, drink, nurse him in His sickness, or visit Him in prison. He used sinners to accomplish His sovereign will. 1:22). Summary This is the confidence which we have before Him, that, if we ask 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. Philippians 3:4-7 - although I myself might have confidence even in the flesh. For who resists His will?, For He says to Moses, I will have mercy on whom I have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I have compassion.. 14 But the Pharisees went out and conspired against him, how to destroy him. The fact that God ordains both the means and the ends should surely encourage us as we face our own trials. God uses all those who humble themselves before the cross, boasting only in him his strength, his wisdom, his righteousness, his accomplishment. But the fact of the matter is it wasnt me! We need to be reminded again and again that we are like grass disposable, temporary, fleeting, momentary. It doesnt mean everything will also go perfectly or the way we hope. Its something we can clearly see within the pages of our Bible. Click here. His plan in doing so was to bless all people. 2) If Jesus did descend into hell, why? The Prophet Habakkuk wrote during the troubled times before Judahs captivity. Moses didnt have any power to bring the ten plagues upon Egypt either. I might preach to 100 people on Sunday morning in my own little church, but I preach to thousands over the internet. Zechariah 11:13Judas would give the money back. They intend to be their own god. Recent events may not have gone how you hoped and the signs may seem bleak. God strengthened Cyrus so that he could conquer nations and overcome opposition Thus says the Lord God to His 2. 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. They have no respect for the leaders of other nations. Because God created all He can use anything in creation. He fought against God and hoped to destroy the early church. We might make Jim Collins proud, but God yawns at our leadership abilities. Today, the weapons of force have improved, yet all the more they take whatever they want, and give only when it serves their purpose. Jesus waved him off by declaring, All this was done that the Scriptures of the prophets might be fulfilled (Matthew 26:56). What an honor to serve the King of kings. But this much is clear: He never believed that Jesus was guilty of any crime. 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? God wants to use those who look away from their self-sufficiency to his all-sufficiency. The new king was deposed after three months. His words imply that all the torment will be tolerable. And the Lord had given the people favor in the sight of the Egyptians, so that they granted them what they requested. In spite of all this they still sinnedAnd did not believe in His wonderful works. The gospel writers record many Old Testament prophecies that were fulfilled in the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ. The Bible says, God was well pleased through the message preached to save those who believe (I Cor. Judas professed Christ but he did not possess him, which is why he is in hell today. 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. Why? The mind of evil changes from bad to worse being taken in by successes in conquest. The fact that God ordains both the means and the ends should surely encourage us as we face our own trials. 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. WebGod 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. The people of Israel, were backed up against the Red Sea with Pharaohs army charging at them. 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. 2 Devout men buried Stephen and made great lamentation over him. 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! There he said in 1 Corinthians 14:21, With men of other tongues and other lips I will speak to this people; And yet, for all that, they will not hear Me, says the Lord. He directly quoted the covenant warning of Isaiah, Jeremiah, and Deuteronomy. God is still using unlikely people to accomplish His will on earth today. Are we becoming more like Jesus by the power of the Spirit? When Lot saw them, he rose to meet them and bowed down with his face to the ground. God didnt want to lead the people around the Red Sea by the way of the Philistines knowing they might get scared and run back to Egypt (Ex. But Joshua the son of Nun and Caleb the son of Jephunneh remained alive out of those men who went to spy out the land. If not, we have reason to question whether our faith is real. They move ahead as a determined army spreading violence. This week I ate lunch with a man who has recently become an acquaintance through an e-mail correspondence. God reigns over the nations; God sits on His holy throne ( Psalm 47:8 ). We concluded that the Bible doesnt give us a final answer regarding why Judas betrayed Jesus Christ. If so, did he have a choice? Steven Lee is the Pastor of Preaching & Vision at. God is unimpressed. Solomon was DaVinci, Einstein, Bach, Jordan, Augustus, and Shakespeare rolled into one superior man. Get your Bible. Be encouraged Christian, God intends to use you in all your multifaceted weakness and obscurity for his glory. So the emphasis of the chapter is on Gods working out His purpose through ordinary people who obey Him. Grace be with you. 5:14). He was a brilliant poet, a skillful songwriter, a genius botanist, and a first-class biologist. God had not yet told Moses what He was going to do, but Moses knew the Lord did not redeem the Israelites from Egypt to have them slaughtered. 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. Be encouraged, child of God. Unbelievers Are blinded by the God of this world 2 Corinthians 4:4 Verse Concepts Herod the Great tried to kill him in Bethlehem. Finally, they suborned perjury by putting forward false witnesses who produced contradictory testimony. He stands behind it indirectly, but He directly stands behind good. Causing a sacrifice to take place that would open salvation up to all people. But as for you, your corpses will fall in this wilderness. But Joshua the son of Nun and Caleb the son of Jephunneh remained alive out of those men who went to spy out the land. God promised to precede Cyrus and destroy all opposition that Cyrus would face: 'I will go before you and make the 3. Therefore if the whole church assembles together and all speak in tongues, and ungifted men or unbelievers enter, will they not say that you are mad? God doesnt need men, but God chooses to use men at times to accomplish His sovereign will. The purpose of www.drivennails.com is to help train expository preachers in sermon construction and delivery, to train inductive Bible study writers and teachers, and to edify the saints with the Word of God. In fact, in one place in scripture, God said that what He was doing could not be understood even if He explained it. The Pharisees came out and began to argue with Him, seeking from Him a sign from heaven, to test Him. When Moses spoke these words to all the sons of Israel, the people mourned greatly. Understanding God in Troubled Times Comments? B) We entrust our lives to the God who cares for us. This week were looking at the other side of the equation. What Jesus Wants Emphasized In His Church! (Bible quotations are from the New King James Version of the Bible unless otherwise noted.). His plan in doing so was to bless all people. 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). Yet, God used him to rebuild the temple and allow Jews to return to their land. Most people in the world have no experience of lasting joy in their lives. We know from the sowing and reaping principle that t here will be degrees of torment in the lake of fire. 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.. And the Lord had given the people favor in the sight of the Egyptians, so that they granted them what they requested. God is not the author of sin, but He can use sinful men to attain an objective. God strengthened Cyrus so that he could conquer nations and overcome opposition Thus says the Lord God to His 2. Dont mistake temporary material victories for true success. God commissions the invalid retiree to uphold dozens, even hundreds of missionaries on the field. In the eyes of the Jews, Saul would be seen as a warrior of the faith. Providence means that God is in charge of the entire universe at all times and nothing happens outside his control. 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. Summary How beautiful! 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?. 2:11). One final point is in order. God will surely judge all rebellion, secret and open. 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? Do not lament your insufficiency. The fact that God ordains both the means and the ends should surely encourage us as we face our own trials. 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. When God does something completely different and unexpected (Numb. Gods Ability To Use Unlikely People Even Unbelievers. Assyria had fallen when Nineveh, its capitol, was destroyed in 612 BC. 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.

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