The Works of God - His Plan

Truly he is a God that is worthy of all of our praise and worship. We exalt him tonight and our worship and our singing. We exalt him in our prayers and we lift him up in our time of reflection upon who he is. What he is like is character and all that he is. It's a good good opportunity to reflect upon our great God. We have been for some months now involved in a study of the doctrine of God or what the Bible teaches about God. You may remember that we began with his introducing the concept kind of an introductory study on God and who he is and then we talked about his personality some of the characteristics of personality that God has to indicate that he is a real person not just a force or power or some vague entity but he is truly a person. We talked about the attributes of God. In fact we've spent most of this study on the attributes of God talking about his at least 15 attributes and we've seen that you can group those in different ways and actually come up with many more than that but we took 15 of the major attributes of God looked at them pretty carefully and then we have just finished looking at the triunity of God. The fact that he is one God eternally existing in three distinct persons and so the unity and the Trinity put together the triunity of God. We've seen how that is to be defined and understood. We've seen its existence and teaching in the Old Testament and also in the New Testament and now tonight we come to the last major section of our study not the last study but the last major section of it which is the works of God and we're going to consider four major works of God as we wrap up this study on what the Bible teaches about God. First of all his plan and I'm convinced we'll spend at least a couple of studies on this because it is so immense a topic and and so difficult to grasp really because it is so immense we'll spend some time on this then we'll talk very briefly about creation. I'm not going to do a creation evolution type deal we're just going to talk about what the scriptures say very briefly about God being the creator and then we'll talk about his preservation which is his ongoing work of keeping the universe running and then providence. Those are the four major areas of God's work apart from salvation and that's a whole different category of theology in itself and we'll get to that someday but we're going to finish up the doctrine of God by talking about his providence. Okay any questions about where we're headed and what we're doing before we jump into God's plan tonight. All right this first of all talk about what the plan of God is we're going to define his plan see a few scriptures that that talk about that and then we're going to spend the most of a time tonight on the characteristics of his plan. The definition of God's plan is this when we talk about God's plan we're talking about his eternal decision regarding or rendering certain all things which shall come to pass. His eternal decision rendering certain all things which shall come to pass. That's God's plan. In other words God has from eternity decided the course and the outcome of all events. Now immediately that raises a lot of questions and we'll try to deal with some of those as we go through this study on God's plan but it's important to understand I think we'll be able to back up that definition from all the scriptures that we look at but it's important to understand the immensity and the scope of God's plan. For God to be God and not to be like us who does not know everything and is just responding to circumstances we have to understand that his plan incorporates and includes everything in the universe that has happened or will happen and God has decided the course and the outcome of all events. I know some of your questions immediately are what about evil things? What about natural disasters? What about catastrophic things? And we'll deal with that as we go along and we'll see that that all fits into the big picture of God's plan. None of that takes God by surprise. It's not that all of it was designed in his plan for creation to operate that way but he certainly knew what was going to happen and within the context of human freedom to be able to make decisions like Adam and Eve did in the garden God incorporated all of that and the results of all of that into his plan and he works all of those things together for his glory and for our good for his eternal purpose. And so the plan of God is a huge immense topic that really takes in not only everything in the scriptures but everything in the universe that has ever happened is happening or will happen. So it is an immense topic it's hard to wrap your mind around we're gonna do our best to at least give a biblical perspective on it and and see what a great God we really have because once we see the scope of God's plan then I think I think we will all want to do what we just say about we will want to exalt him we want to fall at his feet and worship him for his greatness. I'm reminded of Stephen Curtis Chapman's song which became one of my favorites and it came out right after 9.11 and so it got a lot of airplay in that that time your God and I am not and it was just a powerful declaration of the sovereignty of God of the overall plan of God and how he is still in control even when it looks like everything's out of control and that's exactly what the Bible teaches and so we'll we'll see that okay any questions just about the concept before we look at three verses that just give us this idea of this overall scope of the plan of God any question about what we're talking about yes Carolyn I will I will repeat it now make sure I get it right I look at my notes here his the plan of God is his eternal decision rendering certain all things which shall come to pass his eternal decision rendering certain all things which shall come to pass so God has decided the course and outcome of all events it's important to see that God does not sit in heaven waiting to see what happens and then responds to it by the way I want to I want to really nail that down and our thinking because that's a popular thinking today and it's being it's starting to be taught in a lot of seminaries and colleges it's called open theism it means that God really doesn't God really doesn't know ahead of time or even determine ahead of time what his plan is he's taken as surprised as much as we are he doesn't know the future but when it comes he responds to it and that is that's heresy I mean that is that's false teaching at its core because it strikes at the very nature of God and so that's becoming more popular today and and I think we need to make sure we nail this down it's very important that we understand who God is and that he's much bigger than we are okay let's look at three passages which describe this kind of an overall fashion first of all Daniel 435 this is the story of Nebuchadnezzar and Nebuchadnezzar kind of grows in his understanding of who God is and his understanding of the immensity of God and the power of God and even the plan of God and in this this story in chapter 4 remember it's when he is reduced because of his boasting of his great kingdom he is reduced to an animal like existence where for seven years he's out in the field eating grass like an oxen and and just out of his mind and then he's restored to his sanity and comes back to his kingdom and when he God gives him back his kingdom verse 34 says at the end of that time I Nebuchadnezzar raised my eyes toward heaven and my sanity was restored then I praised the most high I honored and glorified him who lives forever okay you see he's finally coming to his senses about who God is and how great he is he says at the end of the verse his dominion is an eternal dominion his kingdom endures from generation to generation now verse 35 all the peoples of the earth are regarded as nothing he does as he pleases with the powers of heaven and the peoples of the earth no one can hold back his hand or say to him what have you done now is the it is the second part of that verse which really describes what we're talking about tonight God's plan he does as he pleases with the powers of heaven and the peoples of the earth no one can hold back his hand or say to him what have you done in other words no one can stop God from doing what he's is decided and he's planned to do and no one can challenge his authority and he does as he pleases not only with the powers of heaven but also with the peoples of the earth so that's one passage and this is a pagan king who realized that he understands more than some teachers and some seminaries do today a pagan king realized that God was overall and above all and nobody could challenge his authority nobody could hold him back and he does as he pleases that is his plan okay look at Isaiah chapter 46 Isaiah 46 verses 8 to 11 Isaiah is prophesying about Babylon being God's instrument of judgment against his people the nation of Judah God will use a heathen nation and all of their power to judge his own people and here's how God addresses that through the prophet verse 8 says remember this keep it in mind take it to heart you rebels remember the former things those of long ago I am God and there is no other I am God and there is none like me I make known the end from the beginning from ancient times and that's a Hebrew expression meaning from eternity from eternity or from ancient times what is still to come I say my purpose will stand and I will do all that I please from the east I summon a bird of prey who do you think the bird of prey is Babylon okay it's in a it's in a section of prophecy about Babylon being used by God to judge his people and so he says if I want to use a nation like Babylon a Babylon if I want to summon a bird of prey who devours its enemies I'm God okay I will do as I please so from the east I summon a bird of prey from a far off land a man to fulfill my purpose what I have said that I will bring about what I have planned that I will do and notice God's plan he establishes in verse 9 his greatness that he is God there's no challenge to his authority and he makes known the end from the beginning the idea is is there that he spans the scope of eternity and from eternity past he has already decided what will happen all the way into eternity future the end from the beginning all of that and everything in between is a part of God's plan so he says from ancient times or from eternity past I have already made known or determined what is still to come and he says my purpose will stand I will do all that I please and then the example is using Babylon to judge his people but using Babylon to judge his people is just a small example of God's bigger plan that includes everything which this passage makes clear okay one other passage and then we'll see if you have any questions Ephesians 1 11 this is the clearest most concise New Testament expression of what we're talking about Ephesians 1 11 in him we were also chosen having been predestined now notice the rest of the verses really are focus according to the plan of him who works out everything in conformity with the purpose of his will okay so God is big enough and he's talking in the context here about the plan of salvation how we're saved but he's big enough to work everything his plan includes everything working out him working out everything in conformity with the purpose of his will so the purpose of his will in other words his decision that's his will the purpose of his will has been established from eternity past and now he's working all things out in accordance with that plan with that purpose the plan and the purpose was determined in eternity past and now he is working everything in accordance with the purpose of his desire the purpose of his will so everything that happens in the universe is a part of the outfolding of the plan of God even human freedom human freedom to make bad decisions and good decisions sin and not all of that is still incorporated in the plan of God none of it is outside the plan of God it's not that God makes people do bad he is not the initiating calls of evil but it doesn't surprising and it is all incorporated in his plan he knows exactly how it's all going to turn out and he's going to move it all in a cord with his will to fulfill his purpose in eternity future okay God is not sitting and having ring his hands thinking oh man he made a mess of things what am I gonna do I'll never be able to recover this no God has it all under control he knew from eternity past exactly what would happen and how it would fit into his purpose for the for eternity that's how big he is that's how great he is now wonderful he is so that's that's really the definition of his plan his eternal decision rendering certain all things which will come to pass the outcome the cause of all events he already knows and has factored into his plan okay questions about that before we talk about the four characteristics of it John yes that's good remember layman Strauss how many of you were here when layman Strauss was here okay several of you number of you were layman Strauss was a great Bible teacher and he was here several times I think maybe once before I came in 1990 and then we had him three times I think after that just a great Bible teacher and John is reminding us of something he used to say the sovereignty of God is God doing okay doing whatever he wants to do to whomever he wants to do whenever he pleases in other words God is God but that's that's got to be close that sounds like something he would say yes has it ever occurred to you that nothing ever occurs to God that's true it is very comforting yes by the way layman Strauss has written a book on the doctrine of God and and it's a very good one I've got it in my library it's a very good simple and yet profound it's the kind of Bible teacher that he was just great great book on on the doctrine of God yes Tommy sure yeah that's part of what it means that that he his purpose includes the end from the beginning he knows and purpose of the end from the beginning he sees it all he has purposed it all planned it all there's nothing that comes across the horizon that's new to him what tell you what you chew on that and when you figure it out you let the rest of us know no what you've raised is one of those conundrums one of those seeming contradictions which are difficult to put together but repeat the the essence of your question again walled on a short get it right right yeah okay how much of how much of what God has put in motion is planned is he just observing how much of it is he still involved in and have he's involved in at all okay there's a there's a view of God which is called deism which believes and by the way most of our founding fathers were deists not all of them but most of them were they talk about God and talk about Providence and all of that but most of them were deists and they believed that God started all and then took his hands off the natural law took over basically God initiated the whole process but now he's not involved in his creation and that is not what the Bible teaches in fact we're going to get to that when we get to the Providence of God because the Providence of God basically teaches what Colossians 1 17 says he is before all things and by him all things consist or are held together God is very much involved in I would say guiding and directing his plan down through the ages and into eternity it's not like he's just watching it happen he's moving it along so he's very involved very involved Kelly right no no that's a great question Kelly God made all of us we all have weaknesses so God made all of our weaknesses right no where do our weaknesses come from ultimately because of sin not not every personality weakness is a direct result of my sin we don't want to say that but every character weakness or temperament shortcoming or weakness is the result ultimately of sin coming into the world Adam and Eve would have lived perfectly holy lives had sin not come into the world and our weaknesses basically are a result of the fall okay we all have strengths we all have weaknesses now that opens up a whole other discussion which I'm not sure we want to hit that direction tonight because that gets into anthropology not the doctrine of God but and that is would everybody have been exactly the same before the fall and I don't think so I think there would have still been different personalities but without the weaknesses that we would associate and identify with sin okay no shortcomings before the fall all right okay that no go ahead Jean I'm sorry yes we do and no we don't yeah that's really it is it is probably the question that grips us the most when we start talking about God's plan well if God has this plan that's been set from eternity past then my prayers don't change it do they okay now here's how great God is and this has to do not only with prayer but every aspect of human freedom that God has given us and and that is God is big enough in his plan to incorporate not only the end but also the means to that end okay so when we think of God's plan and purpose what we're thinking of basically is the end what everything is headed toward and how it's going to end up and God in his plan has incorporated the means to that end some of which involves answered prayer now God knows from eternity past exactly what's going to happen and and he sets that all in motion and directs it through history but as a part of that he also has has directed us impelled us convicted us by spirit to pray about things and as he answers our prayers that is perfectly in line with his plan but it is a real answer to prayer now again how to combine those two perfectly logically that's a little bit beyond us John yeah there are three or four aspects of that and I'm not sure that I can recapture everything we talked about then but the Bible does talk about God repented of the evil and that has to do mainly with his emotional response not that he changed his plan it has to do with the fact that it grieves God he has emotionally moved by what he's done and so the next phase of his plan as he responds to what we have done it appears to us as though God's changed his plan in reality he hasn't he knew all along what would happen he is he is involved in it and moved by it and the new direction that things take have all along been a part of his plan but it looks like the answer change in the plan that's kind of a crude way of trying to explain it let me put it this way that's that's a great question a very insightful question God is ultimately going to get all of us to where he wants us to be and that's the likeness of Christ that's not going to happen till heaven okay we do make choices that if we had made different choices we would be further along in our likeness to Christ here and that's what God would would desire that's what God would want for us but God knew all along choices we would make and that is incorporated into his plan and he will ultimately fulfill his plan for us regardless of all the monkey rinches we threw into the process that he would have liked to have seen different he will eventually fulfill his plan and he does know exactly where we are and he takes us where we are and says I'm going to bring good out of this and move you further along toward my plan I think I think that's best way to see that it what we're struggling with here is the probably the greatest struggle of the human mind and it has been for ages in dealing with theology and that is how do you balance the sovereignty of God with the responsibility of man and when you try when you try to explain it all to where it absolutely makes perfect sense you're probably not getting everything right there are some things we have to leave intention you know and I've used the illustration before that Charles Haddon Spurgeon used to use and Spurgeon was a much stronger Calvinist than I am but but Spurgeon knew enough to know that there was balance there was balance and he would say the sovereignty of God and man's responsibility are like the two rails of a train track if you try to bring them together and harmonize them completely you're going to wreck the train they were designed to run parallel they were designed to run intention now if you're you can't do this in West Virginia but you can do it in Indiana if you're at a flat enough place where you can see how the tracks kind of disappear over the horizon it looks like they're coming together the further further out they are it looks like they're coming together and he would always say that's what eternity is about in eternity they will meet and we will understand better how they meet then but don't try to harmonize it all right now just believe both and there's some other things you used to say that I won't get into tonight about salvation so forth but we're struggling with trying to harmonize all that and there comes a point where you have to say okay I can't harmonize it anymore I'm in danger wrecking the train okay we just have to let those two things be intention okay Greg you know no not exactly we're still moving and God has God has his ways of moving everything that happens in our lives toward his plan and purpose but not everything I choose is his desire now what we're getting into now is a distinction that I wouldn't even plan on getting to until next week and that's his decree and his desire not everything that God decrees is his desire in other words not everything in his plan is the same as his desire for instance so we don't get too hung up on that the Bible says God does not want anyone to perish second Peter 3.9 it's not willing to need to perish are some people going to perish yes so if they are then ultimately we know that was part of God's purpose in plan it involves the fact that they got there because they didn't believe but but God didn't desire that he didn't want that is equal 3311 God takes no pleasure in the death of the wicked okay don't ever see the sovereignty of God like I'm choosing these people and they're going to fulfill my purpose and the rest of these folks I hate them and I'm just going to throw them into hell because I hate them that's not that's not the way God works God God does not rejoice over the death of the wicked at all and we'll see some other evidences of that so what I don't want to do too much of although I want to answer questions if I can I don't want to deal too much with the doctrine of salvation here because that's a totally different theological topic and getting into all of that will be a little bit off our subject okay great questions apologize if they're not being answered completely but there is some of that tension we have to leave remaining certainly certainly Jerry that's fine mm-hmm yes yep yep it is and and I think the only way to reconcile that the fact that for instance like Jerry said in our country things are headed a bad direction but God's in control are we saying is that what God wants is that and obviously it isn't with so many things going through my mind right now I've got a narrow them down first of all things that are happening in our country that we see happening today that are totally away from what God wants are not His desire God incorporates those into His plan sometimes in ways of judgment okay Romans 1 God says if you start worshipping the creation instead of me if you start choosing sin instead of holiness if you start gloring the creature over God okay which all three of those things America has done if you start doing that what am I going to do what does he say is going to do I'm going to give them all I'm going to give you over to the result of your own ways now when you see things like that happening in our country it's not that God is wanting that to happen is directing it that way but it is all a part of His plan quite possibly although I can't speak with certainty about what God's future plan is for America it could possibly be part of His plan to judges and God's going to bring judgment on this nation through our own fault through through our own nation's course and the choices that we make now ultimately that all fits into the plan and purpose of God although not every step is what God would desire it all ultimately fits into His purpose and that's where you have to kind of keep the big picture of what God is doing in mind rather than just focusing on the little details that we see because when you look at the little details hey when I look at the little details of my life sometimes it seems like God forgot something or God's not certainly in control of this is he but we have to keep the bigger picture in mind yeah treaver uh-huh no I don't think we can say that after God judges the wicked he forgets about them you know um God God gives God gives people over to their own way and He takes His hand off okay He gives them over He takes His hand off in the sense that He will no longer try to intercept that process that they have put into motion but doesn't mean that God forgets about them or is no longer concerned about He is still he loves them very much he's concerned about them he knows exactly what's going to happen and as a part of His purpose and plan a place of punishment designed for people who choose that course that's what's going to happen that's all going to fit into His plan but it's not that He just it's not that He forgets all about them in the sense that He takes His hand off of them is He does not once they get to a point of stubbornness and rebellion against God He does not try to intercept the process anymore it happened with Pharaoh 10 times uh it is I think it's 10 times it's said in the book of of Exodus about Pharaoh's heart being hardened six times it says He hardened his own heart four times it says God hardened his heart and okay you put those together and what you what you find is that as Pharaoh persisted in his rebellion and his heart got hard or in more callous finally God took his hand off and judicially said you're done you have chosen that path I'm going to give you over to that path and so that's the way it does it like um Proverbs 29 one says he that often being reproved hardened his heart shall suddenly be cut off and that without remedy okay God after after often being reproved if you continue to harden your heart then God basically says I'm taking my hand off and you're going to face judgment it's certain so it's not that he's not concerned it's not that he's not involved but it's that he has given them over to the course of their own way let's go with Tommy and then we'll go to Greg yes yes right yeah it's a good example the prodigal son the father let the son go and and suffer the consequences of his own way and that's what eventually woke the son up and brought him back he got to the end of himself so yeah God has remedial purposes even in that sometimes sometimes great yeah great example and that that is a pattern repeated over and over again in the book of judges isn't it that where they would rebel against God and cry out to him and he would deliver them and then they would go right back and do the same thing but he always graciously delivered them okay great questions wow okay I was really hoping we'd get into the characteristics of his plan tonight we're going to be another six months in this study at this place aren't we which is fine that's great let's at least get started into the the all-inclusive nature of God's plan I think we've we've already kind of jumped the gun on that and hinted at that but what I want to do and I was going to spend most of our time on this tonight so we'll pick it up next time what I want to do is take you through the scriptures and show you about I don't know 15 things that the Bible says are included in God's plan just to just to give us a feel for the scope of it the all-inclusiveness of it that nothing is left out that nothing takes God by surprise if you still have your Bible over to Ephesians 111 this verse certainly says what we're talking about here in him we were also chosen having to be predestined according to the plan of him who works out everything or all things in conformity with the purpose of his will God works out all things all things everything according to his will and conformity with the purpose of his plan his plan his will which he purposed in eternity past he is in in real time working everything according to that plan everything all things there is nothing that catches him by surprise there is nothing that occurs to him it's all a part of his plan now let's take some specific examples of that we'll just take a few to start with and we'll finish it up maybe next week finish up these 15 things or so okay first of all the seasons the seasons are all in God's plan and we all need that reminder tonight because I've grumbled and griped and complained through the winter just like the rest of us have and we all need to be reminded some of us some of that's good nature some of it is in the winter you can't find anything else talk about anyways you gotta talk about the weather there's nothing else happening so but the seasons are in God's plan look at Daniel chapter 2 Daniel 2 Nebuchadnezzar would learn this Daniel is teaching him the meaning of his first vision in verse 19 then Daniel praised the God of heaven verse 20 and said praise be to the name of God forever and ever wisdom and power are his now notice verse 21 he changes times and seasons he deposes kings and raises up others he gives wisdom to the wise and knowledge to the discerning and he goes on to talk about how God reveals things to his prophets like Daniel the the meaning of dreams and so forth so that he could tell what they were but the the very seasons are all in God's perfect plan he changes them he changes them according to his purpose and his plan did you know that the boundaries of nations are in God's plan look at Acts chapter 17 Acts chapter 17 Acts 17 verse 26 again Paul is is highlighting the greatness of God he's speaking to Athenian philosophers and people who don't have an Old Testament background don't understand who God is and so he begins at the beginning with creation in verse 24 the God who made the world and everything in it is the Lord of heaven and earth and does not live in temples served by human hands or built by human hands he's not served by human hands as if he needed anything so he's exalting God above the manlike deities of the Greek and Roman world this is a different kind of God altogether that that Paul's talking about this is not Thor this is not Mercury this is not Hercules these are not manlike gods this is a God above man okay and then he says rather he himself gives everyone life and breath and everything else now verse 26 from one man he made all the nations that they should inhabit the whole earth and he marked out their appointed times in history and the boundaries of their lands now let that one sink in for a while God had marked all that out their times in history when kingdoms would rise when they would fall when nations would rise when they would decline and even the boundaries of their lands now I know what you're thinking so I'll go ahead and answer it does that mean God wants Russia to take Ukraine that Crimea really should be a part of Russia according to God's plan not necessarily remember God's plan is moving toward a goal a purpose and that is his plan for this earth some of which we know about in the book of revelation and other prophetic scriptures about what he will do in the tribulation time and in the millennium and I will guarantee you this when it comes time for the tribulation this world will look exactly like God wants it to look to accomplish his purpose in the tribulation now I don't know what nations boundaries are going to be where but I know that it will be exactly like God wants it I know there will be a nation israel there will be a people israel in their land because that has to happen for the tribulation events to happen and there are certain other movements of world powers that have to take place great armies from the south from the north from the east and from the west will all be important in the tribulation time now exactly what those boundaries are going to look like that could change a hundred times between now and the tribulation but I know that by the time it gets there it will all fit into exactly what God wants it okay so again you have to keep the bigger picture in mind does God want dictators like Stalin and Hitler well I'm so tempted to say some other names but I won't let does God does God want them to to just take territory that is not theirs no but the shape of the nations and their boundaries are all working there will be a lot of ebb and flow but when when it gets to where God is fulfilling his purpose on this earth it will all be exactly where he wants it to be there won't be any mistakes okay and by the way if God does not want a nation to take another nation he can handle that too the Assyrians tried to take Judah remember that in in the Old Testament and God said not yet we're going to weigh another hundred and uh hundred and twenty five years or so for Babylon so you've got my people surrounded you're laying siege to Jerusalem I'll just wipe out 185,000 of your soldiers in one night and your king will go back to Assyria with his tail between his legs like a whipped puppy and be killed by his two sons in his temple and that'll be the end of the Assyrian empire okay because you know God has a way of making sure what he wants done on this earth is going to be done so yes ultimately in the big picture all of the nations boundaries are exactly as God has appointed them that's part of his plan okay it was also in God's plan from eternity past that we end at 801 tonight and so we are doing that to fit into his purpose and plan let's pray Father thank you for how great you are truly you are God and we are not we we struggle to wrap our minds around your greatness and what all that means with what we experience and see in life and Lord we we believe you're pleased with that effort you want us to examine all that your word teaches about you and your purpose and plan for the ages and yet it is stretching for us it helps us to grow but I pray that as we we may grow in understanding more so we will grow in our deep awareness of who you are of your greatness of your awesomeness of your power and glory that in spite of all that's bad about this world and all the times when it seems totally out of control you will bring history to the conclusion you have designed for it and so we trust you and we thank you in Jesus name amen