Just Desserts – Celebrating God’s Plan – 09/09/07
Date: 9/11/07
Sermon Series: Just Desserts
Sermon Title: Celebrating God’s Plan
Text: Romans 9:19-23
“You will say to me, therefore, “Why then does He still find fault? For who can resist His will?” But who are you—anyone who talks back to God? Will what is formed say to the one who formed it, “Why did you make me like this?” Or has the potter no right over His clay, to make from the same lump one piece of pottery for honor and another for dishonor? And what if God, desiring to display His wrath and to make His power known, endured with much patience objects of wrath ready for destruction? And (what if) He did this to make known the riches of His glory on objects of mercy that He prepared beforehand for glory—” ( HCSB)
Theme: In this difficult chapter, Paul asks and answers the difficult question about the justice of God’s plan. Is it right for God to punish those who have taken the path of disobedience even if it is a part of God’s bigger plan? The answer is that God is sovereign. He is sovereign when He allows suffering and when He dispenses grace. He is God. Being aware of God’s sovereignty is the only thing that will give us security in the middle of a world that doesn’t make a lot of sense at times.
Introduction: I am going to show you a little clip from a movie called Signs. While the show is basically about an invasion of extraterrestrial beings, one of the main themes that run through the movie is about how a man who was a leader in a Church had lost his faith because his wife had died in a tragic auto accident. In this scene Mel Gibson is talking to his brother who is played by Jaquin Phoenix. His bother has always looked up to him as a spiritual hero and is struggling with Mel Gibson’s apparent loss of faith. Show clip from “Signs”
Transition: We are continuing our look at some of what I have called the dessert passages in the book of Romans. Some desserts melt in your mouth like cotton candy, or a rich cake with thick icing. Other desserts need a little chewing, like caramel candy. The 9th, 10th, and 11th chapters of Romans contain some of the most difficult principles of the Christian faith to understand. So I invite you to chew on them a little while with me.
I. A Plan of Purpose
a. His plan is teleological
i. It is a designed plan; it is not a haphazard collection of defining moments through out history. It is instead a carefully crafted architecture that is looking forward to ultimate completion.
b. His plan included:
i. Creation of a free moral agent that could love and be in relationship with the Creator. And while I don’t believe that God planned Adam and Eve’s disobedience I do believe He planned for it. In other words along with the risk that He took that people would be disobedient He was ready with a plan of ultimate redemption for His people.
ii. Patriarchs – a people who would eventually become a nation that was set apart for God’s purpose.
iii. The law which Galatians 3:24 says is a tutor to lead us to Christ. Here in Romans Paul says that the law was to show us what sin looks like.
iv. The Prophets to point out people’s short comings and announce bigger parts of His plan.
v. Eventually the punishment of his own Son to pay the price for our disobedience.
vi. We could go on and on listing items that God carefully crafted into the larger tapestry of His plan.
vii. But for us to understand our place in God’s economy we need to see ourselves as part of this larger design and look forward to the completion of it.
II. A Plan for People
a. It is incredible that God has chosen mankind to be the recipients of His extravagant love.
b. The question that a lot of us ask here, as we study this passage is: How do we mesh God’s sovereign love with our ability to choose as free moral agents. This passage makes it clear that God is completely sovereign. He has complete power and control over all of creation, including us.
c. First of all let me say this, I believe scripture is clear that God desires everyone to come to salvation through relationship with the Son.
i. 2 Peter 3:9 – “…not wanting any to perish, but all to come to repentance.”
d. Secondly, Jesus did not suffer and die for a small percentage of mankind. His atoning death was for everyone.
i. 2 Corinthians 5:15 – “And He died for all”
ii. Hebrews 2:9 – “…so that by God’s grace He might taste death for everyone…” (u}per pa\nto~)
e. Neither one of these scriptural facts would make a lot of sense if God had only chosen a small “elect” group to share in this salvation.
f. So what do we make of this passage that tells us that God can harden whomever He chooses? If God hardens these peoples hearts then how is it fair that they have no faith? (Three answers)
i. Paul makes it clear that we should never take God’s sovereignty lightly. This reminds me of the end of the story of Job.
1. I remember the first time I read through Job I could hardly wait for the end of the story when God shows up and sets the record straight and tells off these friends of Job who have accused him of improper behavior that is warranting this punishment from God. So I finally get to chapter 38 and God is showing up in the whirlwind, and I’m ready to read this excellent reason, this purpose for Job’s suffering and instead God says: basically, who are you to question my plans and purposes? Where you there when anything was created? Do you cause even the tiniest part of creation to run smoothly?
2. God is completely in charge and we had better be clear on that.
ii. People are not only the reason for God’s careful plan; they are a part of His plan.
1. Paul brings up the case of Pharaoh having His heart hardened in order for the glory of God to be shown to everyone concerned.
2. Pharaoh was a willing participant in that event. He hardened his own heart before God stepped in and used his stubbornness.
3. God’s plan is important enough that people will be used for the furtherance of it. The question for us is: Whose side do you want to be on?
a. Do you want to be a willing participant in God’s eternal plan or someone that He uses in spite of yourself?
iii. Thirdly, there are some things about God’s eternal plan that we simply will not understand right now.
1. At the end of this large section of Romans, Paul includes another hymn of praise toward God. (Read Rom. 11:33-36)
a. Part of our understanding of God has to include the knowledge that we are not smart enough or big enough to understand all of God or His plan for creation.
b. And with Paul this should lead us to fall on our knees in complete adoration of a big, big God.
III. A Plan of Promise
a. Finally I want to address, to some extent, the fact that this plan has some implications for the future.
b. In what has got to be one of the most intriguing chapters of scripture in the New Testament, Paul in chapter 11 addresses the future state of God’s earlier covenant people, the Jews.
i. The remnant
ii. The re-grafting of Israel
c. Conclusion: While we do not have all of the details about how Israel will come to faith in Christ as Lord and Savior, I do think that this should give us some encouragement in our walk.
i. God doesn’t forget or marginalize His special creation. His plan is big enough to include all of the details. It is like a blue print to a very large and intricate structure. It has pages and pages of different plans for every detail of the plan. God never overlooks the details and He will not overlook our smallest, or most extraordinary need.
