Finally, they suborned perjury by putting forward false witnesses who produced contradictory testimony. I have not written a New York Times Bestseller, and no one has publicly endorsed, recommended, or vouched for me. Often in the confusion of life, we cant see the ends, much less the means God intends for us. 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. 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. It becomes all the more bold in lawlessness. Judas solved their problem by volunteering to betray the Lord. Moses give the Israelites specific instruction and visible representation from the invisible God. Is that a contradiction? God use non-believers to help His people And how long will they not believe in Me, despite all the signs which I have performed in their midst? 28:36, The LORD will bring you and the king whom you set over you to a nation which neither you nor your fathers have known, and there you shall serve other gods wood and stone. Or what harmony has Christ with Belial, or what has a believer in common with an unbeliever? His betrayal proved that the Jewish leaders were far from innocent bystanders in the death of 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. A second reason, related to the first reason, is that God knew that by doing His miracles through Moses, Moses would then in turn give glory to God. Why? God Will Use Even You 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. 1:15-16), later to be thrown in the Nile (Ex. And a woman who has an unbelieving husband, and he consents to live with her, she must not send her husband away. He uses believers and unbelievers. 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. I cant charge an exorbitant hourly fee for my time. The Lord will fight for you while you keep silent. Then the Lord said to Moses, Why are you crying out to Me? Be encouraged, child of God. Jesus waved him off by declaring, All this was done that the Scriptures of the prophets might be fulfilled (Matthew 26:56). This doesnt erase tragedy or transform heartache, but it gives us a divine perspective on the hard times of life that enables us to keep on going when wed rather give up and quit. C) We place our confidence in Gods ultimate purpose for us. Does God Accomplish His Purpose in Our They have no respect for the leaders of other nations. God Another unlikely person used by God was King Cyrus of Persia. Scripture even points to the fact that God used Cyrus even though he didnt know God. 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. As they plotted how to murder Jesus they had no idea they were accomplishing Gods will. How does this truth apply to Judas? 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? But the fact of the matter is it wasnt me! 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. When Judas actually betrayed Jesus in the Garden, Peter immediately sprang to his defense. We when we dont know if something is Gods will, we pray, Yet not my will but yours be done (Mt. 21 Many are the plans in the mind of a man. But one and the same Spirit works all these things, distributing to each one individually just as He wills. Psalm 69:25Reputation destroyed forever. 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. They do whatever they want. For he sees that even wise men die;The stupid and the senseless alike perishAnd leave their wealth to others. God has the amazing ability to do things that simply do not make sense to mankind. Covenant judgment was about to be poured out upon Israel. His covenant is always enforced. Do not lament your insufficiency. Does God Accomplish His Purpose in Our 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. Lest he misunderstand, I also told him that going to Calvary Memorial Church cannot save anyoneor help save anyone. They gather captives like sand. God reigns over the nations; God sits on His holy throne ( Psalm 47:8 ). 2 He is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the sins of the whole world. 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). God 1 And Saul approved of his execution. I think we can learn some great lessons by answering these questions. I am not a rising star in any field, industry, or arena. Gods Ability To Use Unlikely People Even Unbelievers. verses about Unbelievers Here are five specific prophecies that were fulfilled when Judas betrayed Jesus: Psalm 41:9Close friend will betray Christ (see John 13:18). In fact, in one place in scripture, God said that what He was doing could not be understood even if He explained it. When he went before Pilate, the Roman governor received an urgent message from his wife: Dont have anything to do with that innocent man, for I have suffered a great deal today in a dream because of him (Matthew 27:19). What does it mean that God came from Teman (Habakkuk 3:3). God uses pathetic people for his glorious purposes to show his superior power. The Pharisees came out and began to argue with Him, seeking from Him a sign from heaven, to test Him. C) God uses all eventsgood and badto accomplish his purposes. Which caused the church to grow rapidly. 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? It even included the price Judas would receive for his act of treachery30 pieces of silver. God scoffs at any attempt by me or you to prove our worthiness. The ungodly show the futility of their rebellion, the awful penalty of sin, and the just wrath of God. 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. or will we in our rebellion demonstrate the just curse of His covenant warnings? Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. 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 truth about Judas illustrates Gods control of every event in the universe. God will use it even if you do not understand how. As far as Pilate was concerned, he was ordering an innocent man put to deathwhich is why he tried to wash his hands of the whole affair. 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. It doesnt mean everything will also go perfectly or the way we hope. The manner of the judgment would be unexpected. 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. WebThe Scripture teaches that God achieves His purpose in unbelievers. God could by-pass us and do everything himself, but He does not. We might make Jim Collins proud, but God yawns at our leadership abilities. 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. Each time Moses would perform a mighty sign to convince Pharaoh of Gods power but each time God would harden his heart. It was their God, or at least the God of Moses, that just killed all the first born of Egypt. We turn now to consider how the sin of Judas served many good purposesnone of which were seen that night and none of which diminish his true moral guilt. 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. 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. He uses believers and unbelievers. So through his death, he can have everlasting life on earth. Nothing is ever left to chance with God. 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. Do not begrudge your weakness. 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. 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. Because God created all He can use anything in creation. We see this all the way through the Bible. Questions? His Herod the Great tried to kill him in Bethlehem. And goes on to say, How then will they call on Him in whom they have not believed? God is unimpressed by our collection of readers, likes, retweets, friends, connections, or admirers. To say it another way, there is a man in hell today who has been there for 2000 years even though what he did advanced Gods plan to save the world. 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. Sighing deeply in His spirit, He *said, Why does this generation seek for a sign? God sometimes use evil to accomplish His plans (Habakkuk This warning was made clear in the ancient covenant revealed long before through Moses in Deuteronomy 28. Grace be with you. Why does God allow deception Although God was at work in the betrayal, you couldnt see it that night. Remember my imprisonment. God Why did a holy God allow such evil to continue? And he was an exalted and successful king. God is not finished with you yet, so dont give up on him. This week were looking at the other side of the equation. WebGod never does evil Himself. That leads me to ask a simple question: Are you a professor or a possessor? 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. What does it mean that the righteous will live by faith (Habakkuk 2:4)? 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. He predestined us to adoption as sons through Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the kind intention of His will. 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. Providence means that God is in charge of the entire universe at all times and nothing happens outside his control. Eternity will reveal how your faithful service was used by the Lord in amazing ways. Are we becoming more like Jesus by the power of the Spirit? Here is my answer: He allowed Judas to betray Jesus so that Jesus could become the Savior of the world. Jesus Sends Out the Stand by and see the salvation of the Lord which He will accomplish for you today; for the Egyptians whom you have seen today, you will never see them again forever. 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. ", Writing & Teaching Inductive Bible Studies. Everything fits into Gods plan. 1:8). In heaven, each mans praise will come to him from God, and God will be glorified for sovereignly using sinners for His good purposes (I Cor. 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. Even those who dont believe and even speak against. 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. 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. God is not the author of sin, but He can use sinful men to attain an objective. God Works His Will 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. (see Acts 1:20). He uses believers and unbelievers. God Can Use Unbelievers part 1: Cyrus Now relax your hand! And the angel of the Lord was by the threshing floor of Araunah the Jebusite. But as for you, your corpses will fall in this wilderness. God Can Use Unbelievers part 1: Cyrus Grace be with you. But before his salvation took place God was still using Him. Then God, in His sovereign power and will, takes our weak and fallible service, and accomplishes His will, like parting the Red Sea. Assyria had fallen when Nineveh, its capitol, was destroyed in 612 BC. Were they to march into the sea holding their little ones, driving their cattle, and pushing their elderly? The repentant show Gods unmerited grace to undeserving sinners, and reveal the merciful blessing and goodness of God. God ordains the means and the ends of life. 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. 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 uses all those who humble themselves before the cross, boasting only in him his strength, his wisdom, his righteousness, his accomplishment. God Uses Many People to Accomplish His Purposes 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 promised to precede Cyrus and destroy all opposition that Cyrus would face: 'I will go before you and make the 3. Soon they will be raised up from that struggle to full power. God Uses Philippians 3:4-7 - although I myself might have confidence even in the flesh. so that they might escape from the devil's snare, even though they've been held captive by him to do his will. This shows the mercy and compassion of God to help the Israelites. A most astonishing way of fulfilling that prophesy. so that they might escape from the devil's snare, even though they've been held captive by him to do his will. God has the amazing ability to do things that simply do not make sense to mankind. God asks us to do things we cant do, because it makes us trust IN HIM, not ourselves. Just as He did with Pharaoh who placed no faith in the God of Israel. I have an unimpressive family background and do not come from a long line of important people. Now the two angels came to Sodom in the evening as Lot was sitting in the gate of Sodom. Do not lament your insufficiency. Sighing deeply in His spirit, He *said, Why does this generation seek for a sign? But we need to grow in faith and obedience. Understanding God in Troubled Times All of these people are unlikely choices to be used by God since they didnt truly know or believe in Him. God Will Use Even You A man who lived in a time in which only Jews served the one true God. 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. Why would God allow his Son to suffer such indignity at the hands of one who claimed to be his friend? 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. In such a manner Judas served Gods purposes through his wicked act of betrayal. 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. He could have just caused them to drop dead. God calls the autistic man to give the most profound articulation of his simple faith. For how do you know, O wife, whether you will save your husband? God Uses He stands behind it indirectly, but He directly stands behind good. In the healthiest churches, we find a holy conspiracy between pastors who gladly care for the sheep, and sheep who do what they can so that the pastors might serve joyfully. God use non-believers to help His people 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. even though I was formerly a blasphemer and a persecutor and a violent aggressor. Summary God Can Use Unbelievers part 1: Cyrus And a woman who has an unbelieving husband, and he consents to live with her, she must not send her husband away. When God determines where we will end up, he also determines how we will get there. Amen. Gods Prophet Jeremiah warned of Gods judgment. They were evil cowards who hated the Son of God but feared a popular uprising if they tried to arrest him. He stands behind it indirectly, but He directly stands behind good. God even gave prophecy through Isaiah that this very thing would take place. 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. He told Moses, Tell the sons of Israel to go forward. But how? 1 John 5:14. This is the confidence which we have before Him, that, if we ask He chooses to use sinners to accomplish His sovereign will, often in ways we dont even understand. Pastor, Expository Preacher, Author, Trainer of Preachers and Bible Teachers. When Lot saw them, he rose to meet them and bowed down with his face to the ground. 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. But this much is clear: He never believed that Jesus was guilty of any crime. Thats generally the way life is for all of us. Two questions stand out: 1) Did Jesus actually descend into hell? But if all prophesy, and an unbeliever or an ungifted man enters, he is convicted by all, he is called to account by all; the secrets of his heart are disclosed; and so he will fall on his face and worship God, declaring that God is certainly among you. Though absolutely sovereign, all knowing, all wise, and everywhere present, God uses sinners to accomplish His will.
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