This is the confidence which we have before Him, that, if we ask Jesus waved him off by declaring, All this was done that the Scriptures of the prophets might be fulfilled (Matthew 26:56). 55:8-9). 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. It becomes all the more bold in lawlessness. 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? There is no better example of Gods providence at work through the actions of a sinful man. Many believed they were going to die and complained to Moses (Ex. One swing of his sword whacked off the ear of Malchus, servant to the High Priest. In this wilderness they shall be destroyed, and there they will die. 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 Lord. If not, we have reason to question whether our faith is real. They looked to themselves for their power. 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. 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 reigns over the nations; God sits on His holy throne ( Psalm 47:8 ). What an honor to serve the King of kings. He was a brilliant poet, a skillful songwriter, a genius botanist, and a first-class biologist. God can use anyone and anything. So through his death, he can have everlasting life on earth. 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. God reigns over the nations; God sits on His holy throne ( Psalm 47:8 ). 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. Strategically, this appeared to be a very unwise move, unless you are God. Then God, in His sovereign power and will, takes our weak and fallible service, and accomplishes His will, like parting the Red Sea. The ungodly show the futility of their rebellion, the awful penalty of sin, and the just wrath of God. You will say to me then, Why does He still find fault? Visit Justins personal website Here. (Video #2), Lesson 2: Gods Use of the Ungodly Habakkuk 1:5-11. Gods plan included the time of Jesus deathPassover, the placeJerusalem, the opposition by the Jewish leaders, and the betrayal by Judas. His plan in doing so was to bless all people. The sheep representing believers who did Gods will and the goats representing unbelievers who do not do Gods will. You truly never know God could be doing something right that we wouldnt understand even if He told us. The trials that were meant to establish his guilt ended up establishing his innocence for all the world to see. Also, be sure to stop by our prayer wall. 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. They make a joke out of those who dare to not submit to them. But he chose instead to allow himself to be arrested, knowing that this would fulfill Gods plan. Now the two angels came to Sodom in the evening as Lot was sitting in the gate of Sodom. They had been in Egypt under Egyptian task masters for 400 years. The total number of prophecies is well over 100. Until finally it came to the Red Sea where the Egyptian army was destroyed and the tale spread across the world to the glory of God. 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). 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. 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. 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. 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. For how do you know, O wife, whether you will save your husband? As we saw in the first four verses of this book, Habakkuk was confused. WebJohn 3:16. Or see articles from other writers we feature Here. But one and the same Spirit works all these things, distributing to each one individually just as He wills. Dont get me wrong, wisdom is important. Our accolades cannot merit us any greatness. Here are some examples: He could have rained fire and brimstone down on them. Be encouraged Christian, God intends to use you in all your multifaceted weakness and obscurity for his glory. Habakkuk 1:7-11, They are terrible and dreadful; Their judgment and their dignity proceed from themselves. As they plotted how to murder Jesus they had no idea they were accomplishing Gods will. We concluded that the Bible doesnt give us a final answer regarding why Judas betrayed Jesus Christ. We might be a life-hacking, productivity guru. The Lord can never be blamed for evil, but evil does not take p. God never does evil Himself. God is still using unlikely people to accomplish His will on earth today. 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. A God who can bring something good out of betrayal can be trusted to accomplish his work in your life. by Bob Burridge 2013, 2015 4:5). 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. Understanding God in Troubled Times The book of proverbs also gives us insight into this. Or what harmony has Christ with Belial, or what has a believer in common with an unbeliever? 5:14). Often in the confusion of life, we cant see the ends, much less the means God intends for us. How will they believe in Him whom they have not heard? This is a true mystery, which we may explain in various ways but will never fully understand. God will surely judge all rebellion, secret and open. Then his mind changes, and he transgresses; He commits offense, Ascribing this power to his god.. Though absolutely sovereign, all knowing, all wise, and everywhere present, God uses sinners to accomplish His will. Verse Concepts. Philippians 3:4-7 - although I myself might have confidence even in the flesh. Gods Ability To Use Unlikely People Even Unbelievers. WebGod will never set man's will aside and use him for a good purpose without his being willing to be used. You have entered an incorrect email address! A third reason God had Moses raise his staff and hands before dividing the Red Sea is that God delights to use sinners to accomplish His sovereign will. Literal Standard Version. C) We place our confidence in Gods ultimate purpose for us. 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. God ordains the means and the ends of life. They were afraid. God is unimpressed by our collection of readers, likes, retweets, friends, connections, or admirers. Steven Lee is the Pastor of Preaching & Vision at. They were in an impossible situation with no way out. A nation would come to judge them speaking in a language they did not understand (Deuteronomy 28:49). 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. God has sinners pray and answers the prayers of sinners that are according to His will, getting glory for himself. 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. They have no respect for the leaders of other nations. Why? We are called to be among his faithful people. Unbelievers Are blinded by the God of this world 2 Corinthians 4:4 Verse Concepts Every evil in the world must somehow serve Gods purpose. 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? Two questions confront us as we consider the story of Judas: Last weeks sermon dealt with the first question. His plan in doing so was to bless all people. Compared to you or me, King Solomon had it all wisdom, wealth, fame, power. God was revealing that He was going to use this ungodly power for judgment upon his own straying people. Now and then we advance to Easter morning where we discover Gods purpose in our pain. God is not finished with you yet, so dont give up on him. During his ministry his greatest opposition came from the Pharisees, the Sadducees, the scribes and the teachers of the Law. Two verses later, in Rom. Did Jesus Descend Into Hell? Take care, brethren, that there not be in any one of you an evil, unbelieving heart that falls away from the living God. For he sees that even wise men die;The stupid and the senseless alike perishAnd leave their wealth to others. 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.. All rights reserved. When Lot saw them, he rose to meet them and bowed down with his face to the ground. Holman Old Testament Commentary: Hosea, Joel, Amos, Obadiah, Jonah, Micah by Trent Butler. Scripture even points to the fact that God used Cyrus even though he didnt know God. Why tell Moses to lift up his staff and stretch out his hand over the see and be the instrument God would use to divide the sea? Acts 2:23 tells us that Jesus was delivered up, by the determined purpose and foreknowledge of God, you have taken by lawless hands, have crucified, and put to death. 1 John 5:14. They mock authority and law, and believe that might makes right. They still look to their own strength and ability as if they were divine and answer to no authority above their own. Philippians 3:4-7 - although I myself might have confidence even in the flesh. Verse Concepts. I am a preacher and Bible teacher. When we dont see the ungodly punished immediately, or when they seem to be successful in their evil ways, we should not assume that God is beaten or is pleased to turn His head. This New-Babylon marched through Canaan and took hostages (one of them was Daniel). 2 Devout men buried Stephen and made great lamentation over him. Anxiety, worry, anger, never help remedy the situation, they are emotions that compound our trials and betray that in our hearts we dont believe God, dont trust God, and dont think He is good. It doesnt mean everything will also go perfectly or the way we hope. 10:14-15). 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. 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. They probably said things like, See, God isnt doing anything no body ever gets punished, it cant be very serious. They had forgotten the longsuffering of the True God who made all things, and who rules as King over all kings. Guiding our world whether we are able to see it or not. Jesus immediately restored the ear and told Peter to put down his sword. Prayer is one of the means God uses to accomplish His sovereign will and get glory for himself. This is the confidence which we have before Him, that, if we ask We are saved by living faith in the Son of Godnot by outward religious observance. I run into people in different countries or am contacted by those from different countries who have been blessed by my preaching. 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.. 17:8-13). He uses believers and unbelievers. Stating that the plans of men are many but it is the purpose of the Lord that will stand. Most people in the world have no experience of lasting joy in their lives. God doesnt need men, but God chooses to use men at times to accomplish His sovereign will. When Judas actually betrayed Jesus in the Garden, Peter immediately sprang to his defense. Click here. They wanted him dead and used Judas as a convenient means to that ugly end. The Pharisees came out and began to argue with Him, seeking from Him a sign from heaven, to test Him. In 605 Egypt was defeated by the Neo-Babylonians at Carchemish. so that they might escape from the devil's snare, even though they've been held captive by him to do his will. How does this truth apply to Judas? Solomon was DaVinci, Einstein, Bach, Jordan, Augustus, and Shakespeare rolled into one superior man. He is working all things after the counsel of His will (Eph. WebGod never does evil Himself. God promised to precede Cyrus and destroy all opposition that Cyrus would face: 'I will go before you and make the 3. Gods plan even extended to having Jesus buried in a borrowed tomb (see Isaiah 53:9). (Bible quotations are from the New King James Version of the Bible unless otherwise noted.). The 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. Questions? All of our resources exist to guide you toward everlasting joy in Jesus Christ. But sometimes we forget that when God ordains a particular end, he also ordains the means to that end. The glory of His nature and attributes will be made known in full. All of these people are unlikely choices to be used by God since they didnt truly know or believe in Him. The Lord will fight for you while you keep silent. Then the Lord said to Moses, Why are you crying out to Me? Yet, Solomon turned away from God (1 Kings 11:4, 912). WebGod Can Use Unbelievers part 1: Cyrus 1. Gods plan even extended to having Jesus buried in a borrowed tomb (see Isaiah 53:9). God will use it even if you do not understand how. Those who were rebelling against God had become apathetic. WebJohn 3:16. Gods plan even extended to having Jesus buried in a borrowed tomb (see Isaiah 53:9). He used sinners to accomplish His sovereign will. They deride every stronghold, For they heap up earthen mounds and seize it. 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. Our prayers aline us with Gods eternal decree. God uses all those who humble themselves before the cross, boasting only in him his strength, his wisdom, his righteousness, his accomplishment. We see this all the way through the Bible. I might preach to 100 people on Sunday morning in my own little church, but I preach to thousands over the internet. In many cases without them even realizing that they were being used by God. Moses was an instrument, a tool, a vessel for Gods use, and so are we all. WebJohn 3:16. I find it remarkable how consistently the New Testament writers see the hand of God in the events surrounding the death of Christ. This is the confidence which we have before Him, that, if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. Do you merely profess Christ and trust in your religious habits to save you, or do you possess Christ in your heart by faith? 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. He chooses to use sinners to accomplish His sovereign will, often in ways we dont even understand. There are so many amazing things in these few verses. 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. Nor grumble, as some of them did, and were destroyed by the destroyer. At first he ordered the Israelite babies to be killed at birth by the midwives (Ex. He predestined us to adoption as sons through Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the kind intention of His will. Even today there are those who are arrogant and have no honor for God as He reveals Himself in Scripture. In Acts 13:41 he said, Behold, you despisers, Marvel and perish! 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.. Our accomplishments do not justify our existence.
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