“men of israel, hear these words: Jesus of Nazareth, a man attested to you by God with mighty works and wonders and signs that God did through him in your midst, as you yourselves know— this Jesus, delivered up according to the definite plan and foreknowledge of God, you crucified and killed by the hands of lawless men. [acts 2:22-23]
oh brother and sisters in Christ, when you are worried about the future, know this:
God has a definite plan.
he made man in his own image,
and when we sinned,
he told us his plan in the garden-
i will put enmity between you and the woman,
and between your offspring and her offspring;
he shall bruise your head,
and you shall bruise his heel.” [genesis 3:15]
God has a definite plan.
he made a way for noah,
to abraham,
God said, “no, but Sarah your wife shall bear you a son, and you shall call his name isaac. I will establish my covenant with him as an everlasting covenant for his offspring after him. [genesis 17:19]
he sent and angel to spare isaac’s life
God has a definite plan
he loved jacob,
he placed joseph in prison and in power
he saved moses and the people of israel,
he conquered by joshua.
God has a definite plan.
he rescued rahab,
he redeemed ruth,
he made david a man after his own heart.
God has a definite plan.
he set up kings, and crushed them.
he prophesied through the prophets;
surely he has borne our griefs
and carried our sorrows;
yet we esteemed him stricken,
smitten by God, and afflicted.
but he was pierced for our transgressions;
he was crushed for our iniquities;
upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace,
and with his wounds we are healed. [isaiah 53:4-5]
yet it was the will of the Lord to crush him;
he has put him to grief;
when his soul makes an offering for guilt,
he shall see his offspring; he shall prolong his days;
the will of the Lord shall prosper in his hand. [isaiah 53:10]
God has a definite plan.
there were 400 years of silence as his people waited for the Messiah,
he sent john the baptist
to make the way for the Lord.
God has a definite plan.
he chose a virgin to carry his son, Jesus.
he was born in a lowly stable.
he lived a perfect life.
he loved perfectly.
he disarmed the rulers and authorities and triumphed over them.
he was crucified and killed by the hands of lawless men.
he died to redeem a people to himself.
he defeated death and sin in the resurrection.
he is the Christ, the Messiah. The King of Kings, the Lord of Lords!
God has a definite plan
for those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. and those whom he predestined he also called, and those whom he called he also justified, and those whom he justified he also glorified. [romans 8:29-30]
God has a definite plan.
he put his Holy Spirit in us.
Christ is coming again.
behold, he is coming with the clouds, and every eye will see him, even those who pierced him, and all tribes of the earth will wail on account of him. even so. amen. “i am the Alpha and the Omega,” says the Lord God, “who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty.”[revelation 1:7-8]
God has a definite plan!
~ ce