"Behold, I lay in Zion
A chief cornerstone, elect, precious,
And he who believes on Him will by no means be put to shame.
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Discipleship Training Course Come… Follow Me!
Lesson 29: God's Predetermined Plan:
Review
We have seen...
1. The power of the
Cross to set free "the prisoner" of sin.
2. That the life of the
risen Christ should flow through the humble heart of the believer
who
fully trusts the Lord;
3. That in the
Christian walk as a disciple, the believer will have to face both
temptation and suffering, but that both are the means God allows to
demonstrate the power of the resurrection to principalities and
powers. See Ephesians 3:10. God's purpose is "that
now the manifold wisdom of God might be made known by the church to the
principalities and powers in the heavenly places..."
In this lesson we shall consider God's eternal plan for the individual
believer who becomes a disciple having decided to walk where the Lord
wants.
We shall see...
1. The biblical concept
of predestination;
2. The Father's purpose
for those who are born again;
3. His desire to reveal
His will to His children;
4. The Lord's way of
revealing the best for those who belong to Him.
Our objective is...
to understand that nothing in our lives is either the product of chance
or coincidence, but the coming together of God's predetermined plan for
each individual who is of inestimable worth to the Father.
1. Predestination.
Romans 8:29, 30
For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image
of His Son, that He might be the first-born among many brethren.
Moreover whom He predestined, these He also called; whom He called,
these He also justified; and whom He justified, these He also glorified.
Ephesians 1:5
having predestined us to adoption as sons by Jesus Christ to Himself,
according to the good pleasure of His will,
Ephesians 1:11
In Him also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestined
according to the purpose of Him who works all things according to the
counsel of His will,
Note the sequence...
1. Foreknowledge;
2. Predestination;
3. Call;
4. Believer's choice.
5. Predestined to be
sons of God.
6. Predestined to
receive an inheritance.
2. The purpose of our new life in
Christ.
Ephesians 2:10
For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works,
which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.
We were created in the image of God, prepared for particular works that
would fulfil that image.
Ref. Genesis 1 Image seen in UNITY with God, with fellow man, with the
universe
Psalm 139:16
Your eyes saw my substance, being yet unformed. And in Your book they
all were written, The days fashioned for me, When as yet there were
none of them.
God has a pre-planned programme for every day of our lives
Jeremiah 1:5
Before I formed you in the womb I knew you; Before you were born I
sanctified you; I ordained you a prophet to the nations.
This plan was formulated before conception and birth.
Deuteronomy 28:1, 2
Now it shall come to pass, if you diligently obey the voice of the LORD
your God, to observe carefully all His commandments which I command you
today, that the LORD your God will set you high above all nations of
the earth. And all these blessings shall come upon you and
overtake you, because you obey the voice of the LORD your God
God has determined that we can live in the good of His plan, which is
the product of our obedience.
Romans 8:28
And we know that all things work together for good to those who love
God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.
Everything works together to produce God's plan.
2 Peter 1:3
as His divine power has given to us all things that pertain to life and
godliness, through the knowledge of Him who called us by glory and
virtue,
Every provision is made for us to daily succeed in life and
godliness.
3. God desires to reveal Himself
and His plan for us.
Hebrews 11:6
But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to
God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who
diligently seek Him.
Diligently seeking Him produces results.
James 1:5
If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all
liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him.”
Receiving God's wisdom on any situation is the key.
4. God wants us to choose His
predetermined plan.
Proverbs 3:5, 6
Trust in the LORD with all your heart,
And lean not on your own understanding;
In all your ways acknowledge Him,
And He shall direct your paths.
Psalm 32:8, 9
I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go;
I will guide you with My eye.
Do not be like the horse or like the mule,
Which have no understanding,
Which must be harnessed with bit and bridle,
Else they will not come near you.
5. Our reaction will affect others.
Joshua 6:18
And you, by all means abstain from the accursed things, lest you become
accursed when you take of the accursed things, and make the camp of
Israel a curse, and trouble it.
"No man is an island" nor does any one sin in isolation.
Read Joshua 7. The Battle for Ai.
6. Receiving His plan for us.
Jeremiah 29:11-13
For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the LORD,
thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a
hope. Then you will call upon Me and go and pray to Me, and I
will listen to you. And you will seek Me and find Me, when you
search for Me with all your heart.
Notice how God works with us...
1. He has a plan to
prosper us.
2. We call upon Him and
pray
3. He listens to us.
4. We seek Him.
5. We find Him ONLY
when we seek Him with all our heart.
Malcolm Vine, Cornerstone Ministries. September 2004.
To contact the Bible School email: bibleschool@cornerstoneministries.org.uk
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