God Has a Plan, Hebrews 1:1-3

Introduction:

…There is no such thing as an accident, everything that happens, happens for a purpose. How many of you believe that? If you believe that today then you are saying God has a plan. He has a plan for your life; He has a plan for your family; He has a plan for this church; and yes as we study the Book of Exodus, He has a plan for the Israelites. And what I want us to see today is how God revealed His plan to the Israelites because in learning that we may just discover how God reveals His plan to us.

Body:

1. God’s plan for your life today is build upon what God has already done for you in the past. Exodus 1:1-5 (NIV)

¹ These are the names of the sons of Israel who went to Egypt with Jacob, each with his family: ² Reuben, Simeon, Levi and Judah; ³ Issachar, Zebulun and Benjamin; ⁴ Dan and Naphtali; Gad and Asher. ⁵ The descendants of Jacob numbered seventy in all; Joseph was already in Egypt.

A. As the Book of Exodus opens it begins telling us the names of the sons of Jacob who brought their families to Egypt to escape the famine. In fact, the Jewish rabbis call this book the ‘Book of Names.’

B. And by opening with the names, Moses is connecting Genesis to Exodus. He is saying that the plan God which began in Genesis is going to be carried out in Exodus.

Listen to God’s plan He reveals to Jacob in Genesis 46:3-4 (NIV)

³ “I am God, the God of your father,” he said. “Do not be afraid to go down to Egypt, for I will make you into a great nation there. ⁴ I will go down to Egypt with you, and I will surely bring you back again. And Joseph’s own hand will close your eyes.”

C. God is saying that what I am doing in your life is not disconnected. It is part of the whole picture. There is a reason for you to go to Egypt. There I will grow you and from there I will deliver you.

D. Today, what you have done in your past is part of the big picture God has for your whole life. God is building upon what has happened in your past whether you consider it something good or whether you consider it something bad. God is capable of building upon something bad just as He is capable of building upon something good. That is why it is so foolish not to forgive yourself for things that you have done in the past.

E. Nor does God hit and miss with His plan for our life. He doesn’t start a plan yesterday, last week or last year and then suddenly decide to abandon it and start a new plan. Instead, He builds upon what has already happened in your life.